


Soul Mismatch

by theaspiringcynic



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Female Reader, Jumin Han has feelings, MC has a name and backstory, MC will cuss you out, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-01-09 14:25:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 64,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12278397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theaspiringcynic/pseuds/theaspiringcynic
Summary: Your name is Mina Cho and you didn't normally give too much thought about your soulmate; namely because the words on your skin implied that they were already happily in a relationship with someone else. So when it happened it wasn't too much of a shock even if your soulmate was apparently in love…with his cat.Soulmate/Soulmark AU. Jumin/Reader. Reader with a backstory and a name. Minor Zen/OC, Jaehee/OC.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> guess who's back on their bullshit; don't expect prompt or usual updates. mostly just something fun i write when i'm too burned out to write JQ
> 
> happy birthday to the loml. i love my fictional husband.
> 
>  
> 
> warnings for cat vomit btw

 

 _Aish_ , you had half a mind to tell your bosses that Areum deserved a raise considering that she had to put up with snobby rich people all day as the receptionist. She was out sick unfortunately, and for some reason your bosses Mr. and Dr. Yeun thought you'd be the best person to man the reception room never mind the fact that you also held a doctorate in Veterinary Surgery but you couldn't complain too much -- you were paid rather well considering the clinic's rich clientele and the weird hours you had to work to satisfy them. The majority of your time was spent placating pretentious owners rather than treating patients. It wasn't too bad of a gig and you were happy to take things easy for once considering how you worked yourself to the bone in school. It was pretty breezy even if dealing with people was something you usually went out of your way to avoid.

Your bosses were an interesting pair -- Mr. Yeun was a celebrity, known as the 'Animal Whisperer' while his wife and partner Dr. Yeun was someone you had idolized in school considering the amount of research she had done. The woman was a legend in the field no matter how much your mother looked down on your choice to get a DVS rather than go to medical school as she had wanted. It had been a no-brainer -- you much preferred animals to people any day. The duo had an entire list of books they had written together and this clinic was known throughout the country.

You glanced at the computer screen, snorting a little at the name of the next client or rather their pet. Elizabeth III. You wondered if this cat was really the third in which case you couldn't decide if the owner was either morbidly lazy or obsessed enough to name three cats the same thing. Still, even if it felt like the cat had a title like a queen or something, it wasn't the weirdest name you had seen all day. These rich people had no sense of moderation especially when it came to their pets.

You forced yourself to perk up in your chair as the elevator chimed, knowing that if Dr. Yeun caught you slouching you would receive an earful. You were relieved to see it wasn't her though the number of people exiting confused you -- a well-dressed man holding a white Persian cat and a retinue of what you presumed were bodyguards followed him out the elevator.

Ah, it seemed that Elizabeth III was early for her appointment. You were glad that it was just a check-up, not wanting to deal with another frazzled client convinced their precious pet had cancer. They really should have let Nurse Insoo man the desk; he was so much better equipped to be a receptionist than you were.

You were about to greet them when the cat let out a low growl before hacking up a hairball onto the carpet. It wasn't the grossest thing you'd witnessed an animal do -- you'd been working with animals for a while now so you'd seen some shit both figuratively and literally -- so you were completely unfazed by it even as the bodyguards took a few steps back.

The man turned his attention to you. "Oh that's my darling Elizabeth. Isn't she just so graceful?"

You blinked a few times before responding, "I suppose all queens have a natural grace about them." It took a few moments for your brain to catch up, eyes narrowing as you realized that he had said your words. He had said your words, _holy fucking shit_. Your heart skipped multiple beats but when you looked up at the man's face, you saw…nothing. No reaction. It was as though you hadn't even spoken. _Huh_ , it must have been a fluke or you probably just heard him wrong. "I'll let Dr. Yeun know you've arrived. Please wait just a moment."

You went home that night after dealing with a particularly distressed Dalmatian, thinking nothing more about that weird man with the puking cat.

 

* * *

 

It was Saturday which meant that you had the day off. Days off were spent sleeping in and not getting up at the ass-crack of dawn because your commute was complete shit. Okay, so you were lying. You didn't normally have to get up _that_ early during the work week but it was just that anytime in the morning was too early for you. You were blissfully asleep before hearing a loud knocking sound. Initially you just ignored it -- it was likely for your neighbors seeing as you never had visitors. Your family lived abroad and it was way too early to be one of your friends. The knocking persisted and it was starting to piss you off. Groaning as you got out of bed, you wondered if you had somehow managed to piss off the landlady but that seemed impossible because she was the nicest old lady you had ever met even if she smelled strongly of cabbage.

You opened the door with utter disdain, ready to chew out whoever thought it was a great idea to wake you up at seven in the fucking morning on your day off. Well, okay, if it was the landlady you probably weren't going to do that but god help the poor soul if it was anyone else. The door swung open as your mouth curved into a heavy frown. Your first thought was wondering if you somehow managed to piss off a mob boss or something because the man standing at your door was way too well-dressed to be anything else. You didn't know anyone that was the 'business-type' since most of your friends were artsier (translation: broke as fuck). If you didn't know any better, he looked like one of the clients at the vet clinic you worked at but that was crazy -- how the fuck would he know where you lived?

The man was silent as he studied you; it was unnerving considering the fact that you were just wearing an old shirt with sweats and you were completely braless because you never wore one to bed. Your hair was a mess considering that you had literally just rolled out of bed and you were annoyed because you could feel this ass _judging_ you. Judging you in his perfect suit that probably cost more than your rent. Scratch that, probably cost more than _three_ months' worth of rent. Who the fuck was this well-dressed and put together at seven in the morning on a weekend anyway?

"Who are you? What do you want?" The words sounded harsh coming out of your mouth but you were long past the point of caring. And honestly you were within your rights when a complete stranger decided to wake you up on your day off and judge your sleepwear.

He blinked and started to adjust his cufflinks which you thought was odd because you doubted there was something wrong with them -- the way this man dressed, you were certain that he had a team of stylists that overlooked his outfit before he left the door. A nervous habit then? Probably not a mob boss in that case. "You don't know who I am?"

You scoffed before rolling your eyes. "Why would I ask if I already knew that? Of course, I don't!"

"Jumin Han. We exchanged words two days ago when I brought Elizabeth III to her appointment."

Elizabeth III? That name managed to ring a few bells though his name still eluded you. You were never one to pay attention to the news or anything but the way this guy said his name…he was expecting recognition. Huh. Elizabeth III… Oh! Now you remembered. "Weird cat guy."

"Weird cat guy?" He echoed and you realized that you had, unfortunately, said those words aloud.

You shrugged the embarrassment off because you were still confused as to why he was here at your doorstep. "Yeah didn't your cat throw up in the waiting room? If this is about your cat you should go to the clinic and talk to Dr. Yeun."

"May I come in? This is not something that should be discussed in an open hallway."

You laughed. "Yeah right like I'm going to let some strange man into my apartment. Are you kidding me?"

"I must insist. I assure you that my intentions are pure."

Honestly, at this point you were contemplating just shutting the door and going back to bed but after dealing with rich clients for the past few days, you realized that there was a pretty good chance he would keep knocking anyways because of his sense of privilege. You eyed him and while he was taller than you, you could probably yell loud enough to wake the entire building up if motivated enough. That and with how annoyed you were you felt like you could take him in a fight. _Fuck,_ you needed coffee if your urge to maim this guy on your doorstep was any indication. "Fine but you have five minutes to explain before I'm calling the police."

You shut the door behind him but didn't lock it, knowing that if things went south you probably needed an escape route. You crossed your arms as you followed him into your living room. Okay, honestly it was more of a living room and dining room considering how small your apartment was. Your nails dug into your arms because you can feel him judging your apartment and it reminded you all too much of your parents. You had the money to move into a nicer place but chose not to because you _liked_ living here. Rent was cheap, the neighbors quiet, and you had enough space. You were also sentimental because this was the first place you were able to rent entirely on your own so you were reluctant to leave.

"I came here because I needed to personally confirm something with my own eyes."

"Confirm something? What are you talking about?" You really wished he would just get to the point already instead of speaking vaguely.

" _I suppose all queens have a natural grace about them_. That is what you said to me, correct? I had to look over the CCTV footage to be certain before ordering a background check on you."

CCTV footage? How did that guy get access? He would have had to talk to your bosses in order for that unless he did it illegally. And he ordered a background check on you? _What the fuck_? Why would he care about what you said to him unless…fucking shit, was he your soulmate? But he hadn't reacted at all when you replied to him! You were frozen in shock as your thoughts raced which was why it took you a few seconds to realize that he was loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt.

"Hey!" You yelped, but you were unable to avert your eyes. Weird cat guy or rather, Jumin Han, was pretty easy on the eyes. "What the hell are you --" Your voice escaped you the moment you caught sight of stark black characters on his collarbone. Characters you've seen over a million times because that was _your_ handwriting on his skin. Holy fucking shit.

"Your soulmark." His voice was commanding. "I need to see it."

You felt embarrassed and if it weren't for the fact that you were 100% certain that was your handwriting on his skin you would have kicked him out of your apartment a long time ago. Showing soulmarks was intimate -- only really to be done between soulmates or family -- and lucky you that yours was in a rather private place. Still, you didn't see anything wrong with his request. It was only fair since he had shown you his.

"Okay," You responded and you pushed yourself to show him before you ended up chickening out. You pulled up the hem of your shirt before pulling down the waistband of your sweats and panties just far enough that black characters could be seen. It'd always somewhat embarrassed you that your soulmark started on your pelvis and curled around to your left hip and ended just above your ass. Though you were glad that it was rather easy to hide, definitely not like one of your friends whose mark was across her cheek. It took everything inside you not to step back when he came closer to look at your mark.

He was silent for a long while and you grew nervous. Was something wrong? Was it a mismatch? You let out a breath when he finally nodded though his face was completely blank. You really couldn't read this guy at all.

You had always admired the writing on your skin, marveling at its elegance although the words had long been a source of heartache. You felt a rush of happiness though -- apparently the Elizabeth you had envied your entire life was just a cat! All this time you had thought she had been your soulmate's girlfriend or worse. You felt ashamed at how petty you had been and the way you had treated him earlier even if it had been warranted. He stepped back and you gratefully fixed your clothing.

"Do you want a cup of coffee or something? I'm going to make a pot." If this guy really was your soulmate, you obviously had a lot to talk about. Namely how he found out where you lived. You looked out a window as he buttoned his shirt back up though curiously, he left the tie undone.

"No need. I came here merely to confirm. And to tell you that I have no interest in pursuing a romantic relationship with you."

Your jaw dropped in shock. Maybe you had been celebrating too early. You snapped your mouth shut, willing your features to settle because honestly, you should have seen that coming. Your life was never that easy. "Can you tell me why?" You asked.

"Elizabeth is the only woman I need in my life," He responded; his face a blank mask.

 _Elizabeth? Wait, Elizabeth as in his cat?_ Your soulmate was rejecting you because of his cat?! Of all the rotten luck. . . your soulmate was a complete weirdo. You could already hear your brother laughing his ass off when you told him about this.

"Cool," You replied because what else are you supposed to say to that? You respected the fact that at least he had been upfront about the whole thing and honestly you weren't looking for a relationship either. _Whatever_.

"Make sure to lock the door on your way out," you said as you walked into the kitchen wondering how much God would judge you if you decided to get completely shit-faced drunk at seven in the morning. You felt like it was completely understandable. On second thought it was probably better for you to just go back to sleep and then get drunk.

"Your reaction is surprising." You jumped in surprise mostly because you thought he would have left by now. He had followed you into the kitchen as cramped as it was. You shrugged as you poured water into your trusty coffeemaker. _Fuck it_ , you knew it was pretty unlikely you would be able to fall asleep after this.

"Yeah well, I don't really want to force a relationship on someone who doesn't want one. So have a nice life with Elizabeth." Maybe you should adopt a cat or two considering the fact that you might actually die alone at this rate if this was who your soulmate was. "Besides don’t you have somewhere else to be?"

"It can be pushed back." You raised your eyebrows wondering what caused that complete 180 in terms of attitude. He had been so ready to leave just a few moments ago but now he wanted to stay?

"Convenient. Must suck working on a Saturday though."

You sighed because you really wished he would just leave already. Didn't he understand how awkward he made things by declaring he didn't want to pursue you romantically? Well, you had heard of platonic soulmates and maybe that was what this was? You glanced at him, smirking a little when you realized he had to stoop a little to fit inside your kitchen because the ceiling was a little shorter than six feet. Friends with weird cat guy? Sure why the hell not. You were a lot more open-minded after having a cup of hot coffee in your hands. Absentmindedly, you poured him some as well seeing as he had no intention of leaving for some reason, fixing the second cup with a dash of sugar just as you liked it.

He followed you to the small table you used as both a desk and as a dining table. The paint was chipped but it was pretty reliable surviving through a number of incidents with nothing but a few scratches on the paint. You pushed out the second cup towards him after gesturing for him to sit. You sighed contentedly as you tasted the bitterness on your tongue -- drinking coffee black was something you had picked up from your parents and you never quite quit the habit.

He sipped his own cup tentatively in such a way that you couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark, "I know it's just commoner coffee Mr. Han, but at least it's not instant." On the darkest days of your student life you had to resort to instant coffee because of lack of time and resources but you swore after getting your first job that you would never do that again.

"It's not that. How did you know how I take my coffee?" You thought you saw what looked like suspicion in his eyes and you were starting to think that your soulmate could stand to relax a little. The situation was already rather tense so you smiled in attempts to ease it a little as Insoo had taught you.

You rolled your eyes. "I don't have any creamer so sugar is all I have. Besides coffee isn't meant to be enjoyed with all that sweet crap anyway. The bitterness is what wakes you up."

"You don't like sweet things?"

You shook your head. "I like sweet things just not in my coffee." You picked up your phone, uncaring if it seemed rude to him or not. You had to figure out whether this guy, Jumin Han, was actually famous or if he was just talking out his ass earlier. Jumin Han clocked in at over one million hits after you searched for him online. Vice Chairman of C&R Enterprises. C&R was a household name considering that they made almost everything - clothes, shoes, furniture, electronics etc. - your eyes widened in shock because his net worth was likely more than you would make in several lifetimes _combined_.

"Are you normally this rude to guests?" He asked, sipping his coffee as he watched you intently.

"I am when they come unannounced," you quipped as you continued to scroll down the results. An article headline with an obvious typo caught your eye -- **Does Jumin Han is Gay?** \-- and suddenly his rejection of a romantic relationship with you made sense. Judging by the results this was a rumor that had been on-going for a while now and while you weren't gauche enough to ask him about it, you felt yourself soften towards him just a tad.

He obviously lived a very different life from yours and judging him for it wasn't your place. Plus some of the tabloid headlines were downright cruel. You frowned, wondering what would happen if the media discovered that Jumin Han had a soulmate -- a _female_ soulmate. You didn't know much about celebrities or celebrity culture but you knew the media was rather harsh and overly critical of everything they did or didn't do. The thought of you having to watch out for paparazzi gave you chills.

"Who knows about this?" You asked, wondering if he had taken measures already to prevent the media shitshow that was bound to happen once the general public found out about this.

"My assistant and the man who ran the background check though they don't know for certain. Why didn't you attempt to contact me since our first meeting?"

"Honestly? I didn't think we were a match. You didn't react when I said your words so I assumed it was a fluke or something." Your index finger traced a burn mark on the table. "Even now after seeing your words, I'm still a little skeptical. I'm assuming that the guy who ran the background check also gave you my address?"

He nodded curtly and your lips twitched into a frown. That was an invasion of privacy you definitely didn't like though it could have been worse -- he could have tried to talk to you at your workplace and Insoo likely would have never let you live that down. "In the interests of privacy, it would be best if the media didn't find out about this." You were about to voice your agreement when he continued, "How much money for you to keep your silence?"

You expected to feel a lot more insulted by his offer but a part of you considered the idea that this was just how your soulmate dealt with things. Threw money at problems until they went away. _What a way to live_.

"None. I don't want the media on my doorstep either." You watched him blink in surprise and you felt compelled to explain yourself. "Look, I don't want anything from you, Mr. Han. In fact, I'm perfectly fine with this being the last time I see you if that is what you want."

"You're not at all what I expected." The admission felt insulting as though he expected more from you. If you were honest, he definitely wasn't what you expected either.

You gave him a tight smile, deciding to be civil instead. "I'm going to treat that as a compliment."

"It was meant as one. Most of the women I've met only want things from me or my father."

That was a lot more telling than you expected. After spending half a week dealing with the rich and their spoiled pets, you had a good idea of the types of women he might have encountered. "Maybe you need to surround yourself with better people."

He considered your words with a slight smile. "Perhaps."

 

* * *

 

 

**Do cats dream?**

 

You blinked at your phone screen, surprised to see the message from Jumin Han. The two of you had exchanged numbers for 'emergency reasons' and, frankly, asking questions like that did not constitute an emergency. It seemed as though Jumin had no idea of what to make of you. And honestly, you weren't sure what to make of him either. Especially if he was going to text you about cats this late at night. Didn't he have work tomorrow? Then again he was the Executive Director he could probably swing in late if he wanted to. Lucky him, since you knew Dr. Yeun would ream your ass if you did the same.

 

**Cats sleep from 16-18 hours a day.**

**They experience REM sleep just like humans.**

**So, yes, they do dream.**

 

**What do they dream about?**

 

**Their lives and memories?**

**Same as humans, really.**

 

**I don't often remember mine.**

**How much do cats remember?**

 

**A lot.**

**Their minds are pretty similar to ours.**

 

**Do you remember your dreams?**

 

You paused, wondering what on earth had gotten into your soulmate. Cat talk was frankly what you expected since that was what he had done the last time you met. After confirming you were soulmates, he regaled you the many virtues about his cat -- not that you minded all too much because, despite the fact that Jumin couldn't take a picture to save his life, his cat was cute. Prettier than you and that was a fact you had no trouble admitting to yourself.

**Yes.**

 

**What do you dream about?**

 

**Only level 5 friends have access to that content.**

 

**Level 5 friend?**

**Yup, that's classified information.**

**I will need you to sign an NDA as well.**

 

**Ah, you're making a  joke.**

 

A smile escaped you before you realized it. Jumin had a habit of pointing out the obvious but you were glad to see that Mr. Executive Director had a sense of humor.

 

**Yeah I tend to do that from time to time.**

 

**You're a very straightforward person.**

 

**I get that often.**

**Does that bother you?**

 

**Not at all.**

**It's refreshing to hear you be so frank with me.**

 

And damn if that didn't make your heart beat a little harder. People rarely appreciated your frankness -- the only ones to do so were your brother, Dr. Yeun, and Insoo.

 

 

**Zero.**

 

**Zero?**

 

**Level Zero.**

**That's what level you're on right now.**

 

 

**I see.**

**I look forward to leveling up.**

 

Leveling up? You were a little surprised that Jumin knew that term but there was obviously more to him than what initially caught your eye. Still, you couldn't help the goofy smile that was plastered on your face before bidding him a very abrupt goodnight.

 

* * *

 

"I want everyone to give a warm welcome to our newest intern, Yoosung Kim!" You clapped politely along with Insoo and Areum as Mr. Yeun introduced him. The staff at the clinic was small because Dr. Yeun demanded the best, but you were a tight-knit group and it showed in how efficient the practice was. You looked over the newest staff member, blond (though obviously dyed) with interesting purple eyes.

"I'll work hard so please take care of me!" He was earnest at least and glancing at Areum, you knew she was already smitten and maybe Insoo too.

"Intern Yoosung, you'll be working directly with Dr. Cho," Dr. Yeun stated as she looked at you over her glasses. "If you have any questions please direct them to her."

Damnit, it looked like you had to be the one to show the newbie around. It couldn't be too bad, Dr. Yeun only hired the best so it was likely that this intern was pretty good or at least you hoped so. Ever since meeting your soulmate last week, your mood had been off. It wasn't that you were depressed, more like you weren't sure how to feel. Since your soulmate didn't show any desire for a romantic relationship did that mean you had to start dating around or something now? You knew there were dating apps that existed for people not interested in being with their soulmates for whatever reason but you couldn't see yourself joining one. You had always been rather lazy when it came to things like that. In fact, you hadn't looked at anyone romantically since...ever.

You sighed when Dr. Yeun left with her husband, glad to have a few minutes in peace before the clinic opened.

"So, Yoosung, how old are you?" Insoo asked as he leaned back in his chair something he would never do when Dr. Yeun was around.

"Ah! I'm twenty-one." Yoosung seemed really nervous but you couldn't blame him -- this was probably his first internship. Then again, it might be because of how casual Insoo was. Insoo had a habit of making even serious things nonchalant which was simultaneously a blessing and a curse. He was always great at calming people and animals down but it felt like you could never take him seriously -- something which had caused tension between you two more than once.

"You're the youngest! Even Areum's older than you, heh."

"Not that much older!" Areum flushed, the color clashing with her bright orange hair, as she hastily added. "I'm only twenty-four."

"Guess that means that Yoosung'll have to make the coffee from now on, huh?" Insoo continued. "Make sure to do a good job or Miss Grouch will get you."

"Miss Grouch?" Yoosung asked completely confused and you pulled a frown. Insoo had been calling you that since you first met after realizing how cranky you got in the mornings. The nickname stuck and even Mr. Yeun was known to call you that on occasion. You didn't mind the nickname all that much unless Insoo used it in front of the clients which was completely unprofessional.

"Nurse Insoo, you really shouldn't call Dr. Cho that…" Areum chided much to your gratitude. You smirked, Areum was always so formal even when you told her repeatedly to just use your first name since you had known each other for two years now. She was so sweet and earnest. 

"He's right though. Youngest makes the coffee. Make sure to teach him how to make it, Areum. Insoo's coffee is always as weak as shit." You got up from the table, fixing your white coat. "Come on, intern. We should get you familiar with the equipment before you can start taking vitals."

 

 


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get shit-faced drunk only because you wanted to...NOT because you're bummed out about the whole soulmate nonsense. You also manage to scare the shit out of Areum's soulmate in the process so it's a win-win until you start drunk texting your soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was in a good mood and finished this ahead of schedule! Hope you enjoy since I had a ton of fun writing this. Thanks for all comments and please keep it up!!

 

You wondered what your soulmate was doing right now. Ever since he had shown up at your door, you couldn't stop thinking about him which sucked because the chances of the two of you meeting again were slim even if Elizabeth III was a patient here. Still, you felt weird. You had met your soulmate which was usually a life-changing experience for most people but for you, it was just a Saturday where you were woken up earlier than usual. Come to think of it, you never did get shit-faced drunk like you had initially planned. You felt it was at least warranted seeing as you were rejected for a _fucking_ cat. Still, he kept texting you and you wondered what that meant. Were you going to be friends? You supposed you were fine with that but you wished he would talk about something other than his cat for once. Sure, his cat was gorgeous but it felt like you were bringing your work home with you because he was constantly asking your 'expert' opinion. It made you feel a little used, to be honest.

"Ah, Dr. Cho? Is, uh, everything alright?" Yoosung's voice interrupted your thought process and you realized that you had been staring off into space in front of the coffee machine for a good few minutes now.

"Peachy," you muttered, wishing it was time for you clock out already. "Dr. Yeun and I have a surgery scheduled for next week, I expect you to help Insoo with prep. Have you ever scrubbed in before?"

Yoosung shook his head. "That's really soon! I don't know much so is that really okay?"

"You were level-headed today and managed to calm down both the client and their dog. Just stay like that and everything will be fine. You'll just be observing anyway."

Yoosung nodded, clearly pleased by the praise. He reminded you a little too much of a puppy -- no wonder Insoo liked him -- eager, happy, and free with his emotions. He would need to wise up a little but you hoped he would never quite lose that personality since it was what made working with him rather pleasant.

"Dr. Cho, what made you choose this as a career?" You paused for a moment as you topped off your mug with more coffee needing that extra boost for the four o' clock slump.

"Honestly? I like animals more than people." You took a sip of coffee, happy to see it was still warm. Yoosung was actually better than making it than Areum but you would never tell her that. Areum actually liked making the coffee apparently. And she made baked treats sometimes so you would literally do anything to encourage that behavior even if her coffee was shit because Mondays without her coffee cake was a world you didn't want to live in.

"What really?" Yoosung's eyes widened. He had been getting used to your blunt nature for the past few days but you still managed to surprise him.

You nodded before taking a seat in one of the chairs in the staff break room, glad to sit down because you had been on your feet chasing a skittish cat for nearly half an hour. "My parents were so upset when I chose not to go to medical school but it was better off in the long run. I'm much happier doing what I am now. What about you?"

"My cousin Rika's dog died after a car accident and it made me realize that I wanted to help."

"How noble of you," you murmured. "Studying can get tedious but stay focused on your goal, okay? This job can be really rewarding but I want you to know that sometimes all you can do is your best. You'll end up losing patients someday and that's okay. We can't save them all and it's our job to make sure that their passing is as peaceful as possible."

Yoosung's face tightened and it crossed your mind that perhaps Yoosung hadn't fully realized that even after becoming a veterinarian, he couldn't necessarily save every animal that came his way. Dying was a part of life. The sooner he realized that the better.

"Hey, Yoosung! Why do you look so down, huh? Did Miss Grouch get to you?" Insoo shot you an accusing glare. You cringed because Insoo was right, your low mood was dimming Yoosung's usual cheerfulness. "Let's go out to drink tonight! Celebrate Yoosung's first week as an intern, what do ya say, Miss Grouch?"

"Sure. Chicken and beer?" This was actually a pretty common thing between the two of you and sometimes Areum tagged along if she wasn't busy. Insoo was probably your closest friend, much to your mother's disappointment. She wanted you to make friends with _accomplished_ people…whatever that meant.

"My two loves, of course." Insoo gave you a cheeky wink before calling out, "Hey! Areum! You coming or what?"

"Okay." Areum gave a shy smile before saying, "It's a good thing to celebrate."

Insoo nodded vigorously before wrapping his arm around Yoosung who blushed, obviously embarrassed by the attention.

 

* * *

 

The four of you went to this hole in the wall where the beer was cold and cheap and the fried chicken extra crispy. It wasn't like you couldn't afford to go somewhere fancier -- the Yeuns did pay rather well with how exclusive the clinic was -- but that it was a tradition. You and Insoo had taken Areum here when she had first started working here. So it was only fitting that this was where you would take Yoosung.

"Don't worry about paying, Yoosung," you said as the four of you sat down. "I got you covered."

"Wow, Miss Grouch has a heart!" Insoo exclaimed with a smug look on his face; he even gestured dramatically as he placed a hand over his heart. "I always knew you were a real softie underneath that prickly exterior."

"Shut up Insoo, I didn't say I was paying _your_ share," You replied with very little bite. "And it's just tradition."

Areum laughed at Insoo's exaggerated disappointment. "Don't mind these two. They've always been like this."

"You all seem very close," Yoosung admitted. "It's a warm feeling."

Insoo nodded as he crossed his arms. "It's what makes working fun! It makes for a better team too."

Talk was light during dinner and you rolled your eyes as Insoo regaled a story to Yoosung involving an iguana, a tiger, and a spider especially as the tale got wackier and wackier as he kept drinking beer. You kept yourself from drinking too much even though Insoo was such an enabler. Getting drunk right now was not the best impression to leave on Yoosung and with the mood you were in, you were likely to be pretty emotional with how your feelings were flying all over the place.

"Ah, Yoosung?" A voice called from a different side of the restaurant, interrupting Insoo's story.

"Oh! Zen!" A man with silver hair and red eyes came over to your table. He was attractive…apparently so much so that Areum immediately started blushing although a part of that might be because of the glow from the alcohol. "These are my coworkers I was telling you about."

"This a friend of yours, Yoosung?" Insoo asked as he looked the man up and down. He was dressed plainly in a basic dark blue hoodie and gray shirt with a neck that dipped below his collarbones. His red eyes and silver hair were a striking combination. Was Yoosung friends with a model?

Yoosung nodded. "Zen and I are in the same charity organization. We've known each other for a few years now."

"Well pull up a chair, man. We could always use for one more seeing as Areum's a lightweight." Zen looked surprised by the invitation but after some persuasion finally sat down between you and Insoo. Yoosung introduced everyone and you gave Zen a nod before going back to your beer. You knew it wasn't the politest thing but you were frankly more interested in drinking than anything else at the moment.

"Yoosung, you never told us that you worked with such pretty women." And then this fucker actually winked. At least he didn't wink at you but rather at Areum but he still gave you a flirty smile. He was attractive sure and maybe you would have been more interested in him before meeting your soulmate but right now you just wanted to chill with your friends and eat fried chicken. He looked to Areum, obviously picking up on your disinterested vibes and asked, "So what's your job, cutie?"

Areum, who was obviously still embarrassed from the wink, turned beet red. She was never great at dealing with mild flirtation, even from the clients. It happened a lot actually because Areum was rather cute. Her neck-length orange hair framing her chubby cheeks and her big blue eyes. 

Areum turned a shade of red you had never seen before and squeaked, "H-hot! So hot! I mean you're so hot." She buried her face in her hands and unfortunately knocked her beer into her lap in the process. You could practically taste Areum's embarrassment it was so obvious.

You blinked while Insoo burst into laughter. Areum was shy, for sure, but you had never seen her react to casual flirting like _that_ before. Zen was attractive but you doubted he was so attractive he made Areum clumsy.

You glanced at Zen and were surprised to see him completely shocked. There was something going on, you were sure of it. Zen leaned forward across the table, ignoring the fact that his elbows were in the side dishes, staring straight at Areum before asking, "Is it really you? Are you my soulmate?"

Yoosung choked on his beer and Insoo whacked him hard on the back. Areum nodded jerkily before pulling back her cardigan sleeve to reveal the writing along the bottom of her forearm. The writing was messy but written with a flourish; Zen looked at her skin like it held the answers to the universe and, in hindsight, it probably did.

Zen immediately yanked off his hoodie and realizing where this was going, you averted your eyes because you couldn't believe that Areum's supposed soulmate was shameless enough to strip in a fried chicken shop.

"Zen!" Yoosung cried. "Put your shirt back on, people are starting to stare."

"I can't believe it," Areum's voice rang out, "It's really you!"

You pinched the bridge of your nose, disbelieving the fact that this was really happening right now. From the corner of your eye, you could see Insoo blatantly ogling Zen much like the other patrons while Yoosung successfully managed to talk Zen into putting his shirt back on. "Areum, maybe you should head to the bathroom. That beer will stain if you don't wash it out."

Areum hesitated before nodding. Her face was still flushed with embarrassment but she was grinning widely -- a dumb look in her eyes -- as she left the table. Zen stood up, likely to follow Areum to the bathroom to help her but you and Insoo both pulled him back down by his hoodie in unison.

"You know…" Insoo started, for once serious, as he looked at Zen. "Areum doesn't have any siblings. It's just her and her mom. So we're like her surrogate family, you know?"

Zen nodded, unsure of where this was leading. Yoosung was watching with wide eyes. Insoo took Zen's silence as a cue to continue. "And as her surrogate family, we're very happy for her that she met her soulmate so early. So congrats man, welcome to the family."

Zen's brow furrowed. "You're not going to give me the shovel talk?"

"Shovel talk?" Insoo asked, completely dumbfounded. "Why would I talk about shovels?"

"You know…threaten me," Zen explained. He looked a little nervous as he glanced between you and Insoo. "I'm a little surprised at how welcoming you are since you don't know me at all. Ah! Not that I'm a bad guy, don't get me wrong it's just --"

"Because that's not his job since he's the welcoming committee," you interjected as a sharp smile showed on your face. "It's mine. I'm a surgeon and I'm very good with scalpels and needles."

Insoo nodded sagely as he sipped his beer. "Yup, Miss Grouch here is the best at S&N."

"S&N?" Zen asked with an eyebrow perfectly arched. Damn, Areum really won the lottery with her soulmate. You weren't sure if he was more attractive than Jumin but it came close.

"Spay and neutering," Yoosung answered for him. Zen's face turned ashen. He was already a rather pale guy but the implication of your words made him turn gray and even a little green. You wanted to laugh at his expression but that would probably ruin the effect and besides, you were completely serious. Areum was a like a little sister to you and you'd heard stories of people taking advantage of their soulmates and pressuring them into things by using the soulmarks. You were damn well going to make sure that didn't happen with Areum.

"If you make Areum cry, you and I are going to have a problem. And what do I do with problems, Insoo?"

"Remove them with extreme prejudice~," Insoo responded cheerfully. Yoosung's face was twitching, obviously trying to hold back his laughter.

"Damn right. So are we clear?" You stared blankly into his eyes, using the same look you used when facing down a disobedient patient. Animals respected authority and you had plenty of it.

"C-crystal," Zen sputtered nervously. "I would never hurt her."

You slapped his back, knowing full well the smile on your face was probably pure evil. "Then welcome to the fam, bro-in-law. A round of soju on me, everyone!"

Areum returned not soon after that still blushing up a storm since there was a wet spot on her skirt where she had spilled beer all over herself. Zen was watching her every move with awe and you hid your displeasure by drinking. It wasn't that you weren't happy for Areum because you were. Areum was the sweetest person you had ever met and Zen seemed decent enough. Just seeing them interact was so nauseatingly cute it made your stomach twist. Not that you were jealous…nope.

"Wow, I can't believe I witnessed a Soul Meeting!" Yoosung exclaimed. "It makes me so impatient to meet my soulmate!" Zen and Areum were already lost in their own little world, not paying any attention to the three of you. You moved to sit closer to Yoosung and Insoo, not wanting to interrupt the new couple.

"It can't be that rare. There are probably people meeting their soulmates all the time," you muttered as you sat back down.

"Ouch, Miss Grouch. Try not to be so bitter because you haven't met yours," Insoo scolded playfully. You kept your mouth shut no matter how much you wanted to blurt out that you _had_ actually met him already. You focused your attention on eating, hoping that Insoo wouldn't pick up on your extra-sour mood tonight. You really just wanted to be left alone.

"What about you, Insoo?" Yoosung asked. "Have you met yours?"

Insoo shook his head. "They really are taking their time but I'm sure they'll be worth the wait!"

Yoosung smiled. "That's a really admirable attitude to have. Still, waiting can get pretty lonely." His shoulders slumped slightly but he soon brightened. "I'm starting to understand why Zen's so vain now! Imagine having those words as your soulmark, they'd give anyone a big head."

 

* * *

 

 

 

> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: I can't believe I saw Zen meet his soulmate!!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: it was so romantic omg**
> 
> **707: (shocked)**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Zen met his soulmate?**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: That's great news!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: yeah**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: I'm a little jealous tho lol**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: but I'm happy for him**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: they look good together**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: I still can't believe it!**
> 
> **707: I guess Zen is off the market then**
> 
> **707: his fans probably won't be happy lol**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: He'll have to make an announcement to the fanclub**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: I'm sure Areum will be really supportive**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: she's p cool**
> 
> **707: Areum?**
> 
> **707: +_+**
> 
> **707: now that I have a name, hacker 707 is on the case!!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: I guess it's just it's just the four of us then, huh**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: forever alone haha**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Actually, I've met my soulmate already.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: WHAT?!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: (shocked)**
> 
> **707: and so has cat mom llololol**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: WAIT WHAT**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Jumin and Jaehee met their soulmates already???;;;;**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: why didn't anyone tell me;;;;**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: (crying)**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Well I met my soulmate before joining the RFA,**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: so it never crossed my mind to tell all of you.**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han met his soulmate very recently.**
> 
> **707: yup!**
> 
> **707: even had me do a background check on them lol**
> 
> **707: mr. trust fund kid trusts no one!**
> 
> **707: not even his soulmate lol**
> 
> **707: Yoosung, wanna see a picture of them??**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Luciel, I'm not sure that's a good idea.**
> 
> **707: (attachment: cat_mom_soulmate.png)**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: !!!!!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: why is the attachment just a picture of elizabeth?!**
> 
> **707: because cat mom's real soulmate is obvs elly!!**
> 
> **707: lolololololl**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Luciel;;;;;**

 

* * *

 

 

> **ZEN: I FEEL SO HAPPY;;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: MY LIFE IS FULL OF JOY;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: I'M SO THANKFUL**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: so it went well with Areum?**
> 
> **ZEN: YES**
> 
> **ZEN: we're meeting up after she gets done with work tomorrow night for our first date!!**
> 
> **ZEN: she said not to visit her at work in case there are cats**
> 
> **ZEN: and she suggested some medication because her mother also has allergies**
> 
> **ZEN: she's so thoughtful <3**
> 
> **ZEN: I'm so lucky;;;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: (sparkle)**
> 
> **ZEN: I probably wouldn't go to her work anyways**
> 
> **ZEN: that woman really scares me**
> 
> **ZEN: She gave me goosebumps**
> 
> **ZEN: lol**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: ah, you mean Dr. Cho??**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: she's actually a lot nicer once you get used to her**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: just…prickly?**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: she's very honest and helpful though**
> 
> **ZEN: yeah I guess…;;;**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: still I wonder what kind of person Jumin's soulmate is**
> 
> **ZEN: I first thought it was just something Seven made up**
> 
> **ZEN: but since Jaehee confirmed it, I guess it's true**
> 
> **ZEN: it was definitely surprising but I guess even a jerk like him has someone;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: honestly surprised it's not the furball lol**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: I guess it's just me and Seven now…**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: -_-**

 

* * *

 

"Sleep off the alcohol, Drunky," Insoo laughed as he helped you over the threshold. You might have gone a little overboard in drinking but watching Areum hit it off with her soulmate had really bothered you. You guessed you were still pretty disappointed that your soulmate didn't want anything to do with you besides using you as his personal veterinarian.

"Shut the fuck up," you managed to reply after mumbling the words under your breath a few times. Insoo laughed because your words still came out a little slurred despite you practicing. You weren't too drunk but you definitely were stumbling all over the place and it might have taken you a lot longer to open the door than you would have liked. You weren't at all embarrassed because this wasn't the first time Insoo had seen you in this position and you had your own fair share of taking care of a drunk Insoo. You could still remember that time he puked all over Mrs. Lee's plants and he tried to blame it on her dog (never mind the fact that she saw him puke all over her bushes in the first place).

Insoo gave you a small salute before closing the door behind him; the slam making your temples hurt. You managed to pour yourself a large glass of water after some serious concentration. You felt a little better after forcing yourself to sip from it a little. You headed back to the fridge and opened a bottle of Morning Care because you fucking hated hangovers and chugged that shit down as well. You then made your way to your bed, not bothering to take your clothes off because that felt like way too much work at the moment.

 

**Heyyyyyyy weird cat guy r u awake?**

As soon as you sent the message you were already annoyed at yourself. This wasn't drunk texting because you were sobering up (somewhat) but you didn't want to admit to yourself you were reaching out to this guy because watching Areum and Zen had made you feel lonely.

 

**Yes, I'm finishing up work for a meeting tomorrow.**

**What is it?**

 

Shit, how were you supposed to respond to that? You just wanted to talk to him and have a normal (non-cat related) conversation but you felt guilty for bothering him now.

 

**Why do you call me that?**

 

**That's wat i have u saved as in my phone.**

**I haven't told neone that I met u or watt we r.**

**So I thought it would b better 2 hide it this way.**

 

**That's surprisingly prudent of you.**

 

**Yeahhhhhhhh, some of us commoners actually have brains ur highness**.

 

**It's important to learn something new every day.**

 

What an ass. Still, his reply made you smile. You never once got the feeling that he'd get offended by your tendency to be snarky and it was great to see him give as good as he got. Sometimes you had trouble reigning in your personality so you tended to surround yourself with people who had thicker skins. Not that you couldn't be polite if you wanted -- your mother would have _never_ let you leave the house if that was the case -- you were just naturally honest to the point of rudeness. You blamed it on the fact that your parents were so obsessed with appearances and pretending everything was perfect that you rebelled against putting up facades. You presented yourself honestly and appreciated people who did the same. Some people simply couldn't handle that.

 

**How old were u when u found out what ur mark said???**

 

It was a weird question but you were in a weird type of mood.

 

**That is a very sentimental question to ask.**

**I believe my nanny explained it to me.**

 

Soulmarks developed within a year after birth since all soulmates were born within a year of each other. Some people never gained theirs even after a year -- most believed it meant that their soulmate had died or wasn't alive. Reports mentioned somewhere between 20-25% of the population didn't have soulmarks. The data was self-reported after all so its accuracy was questionable.

 

**What about you?**

 

Your own soulmark had been a source of grief for you. Your mother hadn't mentioned the fact that another woman's name was on your skin. In fact, it was only after you learned to read and managed to get a hold of a mirror that you were able to read the whole thing. For a large portion of your childhood, you assumed that your soulmate's first words to you would be 'Oh my darling' since the 'Elizabeth' was written on the curve of your side and was difficult to see.

 

**Probs when i learned 2 read.**

 

Not a lie but not the whole truth either. You wanted to tell him how much your words had shaped your life and the way you viewed romantic relationships. After reading your words for the first time, you soon learned what infidelity and cheating meant. Most of this was due to your own tenacity because you wanted to know why your soulmate would call another person 'darling'. You wanted to tell him how jaded you had become of soulmates and how much time you spent reading about soulmates who caused divorces and broken homes. All your life your soulmate had made you feel like the other woman and there was a lot of pent-up self-loathing still lurking there.

 

**byyyyyyyyyyyyyye weird cat guy.**

**go back to work.**

 

**Goodnight.**


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are one step closer to being that crazy cat-lady you've always dreamed of being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the comments! they sustain this story tbh.

 

 

> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Jumin!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Seven told me you found your soulmate**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: is it true?!**
> 
> **ZEN: I still think Seven's trolling;;;**
> 
> **Jumin Han: Luciel is correct.**
> 
> **Jumin Han: I had informed him not to reveal their identity but**
> 
> **Jumin Han: it seems he was craftier than I thought in mentioning their existence.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: they're a real person right???**
> 
> **Jumin Han: What a strange question to ask.**
> 
> **ZEN: hey jerk answer the question;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: though it wouldn't surprise me if your soulmate is actually the furball…;;;**
> 
> **Jumin Han: …**
> 
> **Jumin Han: Her name is Elizabeth.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Your soulmate's name is Elizabeth??????????**

 

* * *

 

 

**Is it possible for cats to contract human illnesses?**

 

**Hello to you too weird cat guy.**

**I need more context than that.**

 

**My assistant is sneezing.**

**Though she claims it's fine,**

**I'm hesitant to leave Elizabeth III in her care.**

 

**Do you pay your assistant to watch your cat?**

 

**…**

**No, but it's implied in her duties.**

 

Your eyebrows rose. It sounded more like your soulmate was bullying his assistant into watching his cat for free. Knowing the type of person your soulmate was from the sporadic text messages you got if you gave Jumin an inch he'd take a mile if you let him.

 

**If it's for a few days, I can watch your cat.**

 

You honestly didn't mind too much. He had been asking you so many questions about her for the past few weeks it was starting to feel like she was your cat too. You were also morbidly curious as to how spoiled this cat was since your soulmate placed it on such a high pedestal. Besides, cute animals were the whole reason you became a veterinarian in the first place.

 

**…**

**That's a very tempting offer.**

 

**What's making you hesitate?**

**I'm more than qualified to watch over your cat.**

 

Was this really going to turn into a weird pride thing for you? Probably. It would be a whole other low if your soulmate decided you weren't even good enough to watch over his cat.

 

 **I'll inform you of my decision later today**.

 

 You weren't quite sure what he had to think over. It wasn't like you were going to do anything bad to Elizabeth. It wasn't Elizabeth's fault your soulmate was a complete weirdo.

 

* * *

 

 

"Is that everything, Mr. Han?" Jaehee asked, silently praying that a divine act of the Lord would keep him from leaving that dreaded cat with her before he left for his business trip. She sniffed a little for good measure. It wasn't a tactic Jaehee had employed before but Zen's newest DVD set was out and she had been looking forward to watching it…fur-free.

 

"Yes I believe so." Jumin rose from his desk, buttoning his blazer. "I will be leaving Elizabeth with someone else, so I will see you when I return. Make sure to have those reports from the different departments ready for my return, Assistant Kang."

 

"Of course, Mr. Han," Jaehee replied flatly, trying to keep the growing grin off her face. She was slightly curious as to who was watching over the cat but she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Her prayers had been answered!

 

While Jumin noticed there was something off with his assistant, he assumed it had to do with her impending illness. His mind was firmly on you, a woman he wasn't quite sure what to make of. He had appreciated the fact that you had mostly ignored him; in fact, he might even admit that you were the perfect soulmate in that regard. He also found you a very useful resource for inquiring after Elizabeth's health and a wealth of interesting information.

 

In very little time, Driver Kim parked near Dr. Cho's apartment building. You lived in a rather quiet neighborhood, slightly run-down due to age but safe. He had been careful in instructing Driver Kim to use an unmarked car that the media wouldn't recognize when driving to your neighborhood. While Jumin didn't normally bother with tabloids, he knew that their impact had a tangible effect on company stock prices. Due to his father's…tastes, he had long been accustomed to taking special measures to avoid unwanted scandals. The media finding out about his soulmate would be a complete headache.

 

He knocked on the door, holding Elizabeth in one hand and her cat-carrier filled with food, toys and detailed outline of her care plan in the other.

 

You opened the door with a blank face. Normally he found women quite easy to read but you were a still mystery to him. You greeted him tiredly, "Oh, it's you." And then opened the door wider to let him inside.

 

It was only after he was inside and the door shut behind him that he realized that you were in nothing but a towel. He felt the tips of his ears burn since the sight reminded him all too much of last time. While he was familiar with women throwing themselves at him, the sight of you in such casually revealing clothing was something he had difficulty ignoring. The image still came to him at inappropriate times and now seeing you in nothing but a gray towel, your skin obviously soft and clean, it took a lot more willpower than he expected to look away. What bothered him the most was how casual you seemed about it -- like you weren't even aware of how underdressed you were. Did you always open the door undressed like this? He didn't like that idea at all.

 

"So is that everything?" You asked as you watched Elizabeth inspect your apartment. You were completely unaware of Jumin staring attentively at your shoulder blades since you had your back turned to him.

 

"I trust you understand what a monumental task this is." Jumin forced his attention away from your skin while trying to make sure he had enough ice in his tone.

 

"If you're trying to threaten me you're going to need to be way less subtle, Mr. Han," you replied as Elizabeth sniffed your leg before rubbing herself against it. It seemed Elizabeth had warmed up to you rather quickly which immediately put Jumin at ease. He trusted Elizabeth III to be a good judge of character. "Otherwise I'll just take it as a friendly suggestion."

 

He chose to stare at you instead since that usually made all of his employees fall in line but was surprised to see you stare back with no visible discomfort. He cleared his throat after a considerable amount of time had passed. "I suppose we should negotiate payment for services rendered?"

 

"I'm running low on ice cream so if you could pick some up from the store on your way to pick her up that'd be great," you said with no real urgency. He had begrudgingly expected you to ask for something worthwhile and he still thought your initial refusal to accept hush money was a fluke but it seemed you really had no interest in his money at all if you asked for such small things.

 

He blinked a couple times trying to understand what you had asked of him. "Ice cream?"

 

You nodded before stooping down to pick up Elizabeth. Jumin forced himself to look away because the fabric around your chest drooped teasingly. He was surprised at his sudden urge to just rip it off. "I'm not necessarily picky about the flavor so surprise me."

 

"Very well. I should be back late Sunday evening. I'll call ahead to inform you of my arrival."

 

"Cool," your attention was completely on Elizabeth not even bothering to look at Jumin. He actually felt a little slighted at how easily you were ignoring him though he supposed he understood because Elizabeth simply demanded one's full attention. "Should I send you regular updates?"

 

Sometimes you really surprised him with how thoughtful you were. He was still unsure if that was simply part of your ability to read people and by extension him or if it was because you were his soulmate. Even Assistant Kang refused unilaterally to give updates unless there was an emergency. "That would be…appreciated. I wish you a good night."

 

"Safe travels." He heard as you closed the door behind him. He found himself standing by your door for a few seconds afterward wondering why he felt so shaken from seeing you again. He knew he felt something but decided to push it down with all the other feelings he had long labeled useless -- his full focus needed to be on the upcoming business negotiations rather than the fact you hadn't smiled at him.

 

* * *

 

 

You skimmed over the care plan he had handed to you and promptly started laughing. Some of the things written on there were simply ridiculous.

 

Brushing Elizabeth's fur exactly one hundred times? How did this man have the time with all his responsibilities?

 

Giving her bottled water imported from Iceland? This cat was definitely getting tap water.

 

Was this a rich person thing or just an I'm-in-love-with-my-cat thing? At this point, you weren't even sure you could reliably tell the difference. "Oh, Liz, your owner is a complete whacko." Still, it was a little admirable how dedicated he was to her. Weird as fuck but a little admirable.

 

You smiled when she merely mewed in response before sniffing at your furniture. You wondered whether he let Elizabeth watch TV. You really hoped she liked watching soap operas because that was all you were going to do this weekend.

 

* * *

 

 

 

> **ZEN: Jaehee!**
> 
> **ZEN: you're off work early!**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han left on a business trip today.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: that's right!**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: So now I get to go home and watch Zen's brilliance in 1080HD.**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: +_+**
> 
> **ZEN: thank you~**
> 
> **ZEN: but don't you have to watch the furball?**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: oh yeah**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: don't you normally watch after her when he's gone, Jaehee??**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han found someone else to watch the cat**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: I pray it becomes a permanent habit**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: (hopeful)**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: someone else?!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: he loves Elizabeth**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: I can't believe he would just let a stranger watch her**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: (shocked)**
> 
> **ZEN: yeah…he doesn't trust just anyone with that furball;;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: he still doesn't even let Seven visit it;;;**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: I have no idea who it is.**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: But I feel like I owe that person a lot.**

 

* * *

 

 

Elizabeth was surprisingly well behaved for a cat who experienced more luxury on a daily basis than most people. While she had the tendency to shed like crazy (you were going to have to vacuum up a storm after she left since that white fur got fucking _everywhere_ ), she hadn't ruined any furniture and there weren't any 'accidents' that you had to clean up. Something which you appreciated because you vividly remembered her vomiting during your first meeting and you really didn't feel like cleaning up cat puke on your day off. She was a rather sweet cat even if she had the tendency to stare at you for too long. You were never allowed a pet growing up so sometimes you were startled when she snuck up on you…she really needed a bell on her collar.

 

Still, the damned cat really grew on you during the weekend. You ended up saving all the pictures and videos you took after sending them to him even though your phone storage was pitiful. It wasn't like you had any other pictures saved on your phone anyways. Most of your phone storage was used for mobile games because you played them religiously during your commute. Still, you liked this dumb cat enough to delete some games just to make room for videos of when she was being particularly derpy. You were actually pretty sad that the weekend was ending and she was going to leave soon. Having her in the apartment seemed to make the space less quiet even she didn't make a lot of noise. You were starting to realize that part of the reason you refused to leave this apartment was that a larger one would have made you feel lonelier. This was the perfect size for one person and a cat.

 

 _Damn_ …you were seriously considering adopting a cat now.

 

* * *

 

 

Jumin stood in front of the door to your apartment hesitating. He mentally shook himself; he was being ridiculous. He was here to pick up Elizabeth but why did he feel like he was intruding? You hadn't been very happy to see him last time and that was odd to him. Nearly everyone went out of their way to be polite and accommodating to him and while you hadn't necessarily been rude, your indifference towards him threw him off. He knocked, ignoring the way his pulse picked up as he wondered what you would be wearing this time. _No, that was inappropriate to think about._

 

When you opened the door, you didn't disappoint. You were wearing outrageously short-shorts with a loose tanktop that slipped over your shoulder, revealing a bright red bralette underneath. Jumin swallowed thickly. You gave him half a smirk before turning your face to call over your shoulder, "Liz! Your man is here."

 

 _Liz?_ Jumin wondered.

 

Elizabeth the Third stalked over to the front door between your feet, meowing as she rubbed herself against Jumin's legs.

 

Jumin cleared his throat after he had Elizabeth in his arms. "Her name is Elizabeth the Third."

 

You nodded as you let Jumin into your apartment. "Yup and I call her Liz for short. It's a nickname, an endearment for like a friend. Rich people have those, right?"

 

Jumin supposed he could allow you to call Elizabeth that. You had been rather fastidious about sending updates and he quite enjoyed the way you managed to capture Elizabeth's grace through pictures. Your captions were always rather amusing too. "I see. Is that why you refer to me as 'weird cat guy' or say 'your highness'?"

 

You paused in the middle of gathering Elizabeth's toys before making an agreeing noise. "I guess?"

 

"Should I have an endearment for you as well? Fair is only fair." The only problem was that Jumin was unsure what he should call you. The closest friend he had was V but that was a moniker that Jihyun had chosen himself. Jumin had never given a nickname to someone before nor had he been gifted one until now.

 

You shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat."

 

He didn't know what to make of your sudden easy-going personality. He liked it better when you were being purposely belligerent because that felt more exciting than whatever _this_ was. You were being suspiciously passive but Jumin didn't understand why that was making his hackles rise. It was confusing, he thought as he adjusted his cufflinks, and he didn't like it.

 

"My apologies but I didn't bring the ice cream since I was unsure what flavor you desired. My assistant discouraged me buying a dozen as I had initially proposed."

 

Your eyes widened as your eyebrows rose. "I'm like _one_ person. Have you seen the size of my freezer? It can fit like 4 tubs max."

 

His brow furrowed. "Are commoner refrigerators usually so small?"

 

Something about this question made you laugh and while it was surprising because he hadn't meant to be funny, it still pleased him to see you smile. Your laughter eventually slowed. "Not all of us have walk-in freezers, your highness. Besides, you can just bring it next time."

 

"Next time?" Jumin echoed.

 

You blinked, mouth straightening into a line. You obviously looked uncomfortable and Jumin nearly regretted asking. "The next time you need me to watch Elizabeth."

 

He nodded. "You've done a fine job watching over her and if you are available, I wouldn't mind leaving her in your care in the future."

 

You gave him a brilliant smile, obviously pleased. He marveled at how much the action changed your entire face. He wanted you to do it more often but he was unsure why. "I definitely wouldn't mind just give me a few hours notice."

 

Your phone chimed and he watched you glance at the notification before rushing towards your T.V. He was surprised to hear a familiar tune coming from the speakers as he realized that you had turned on a rather popular soap opera.

 

"What episode is this?" He asked as he glanced at the screen. "Didn't he give the letter to Haewon?"

 

"The last one was when Chinhae confessed his feelings in a letter but his sister Haewon misplaced it. The jealous maid found it instead but she has no idea who it was supposed to go to," You replied absentmindedly before suddenly pausing. "Wait, you watch _My Only Secret_?"

 

"It's a very popular drama. I enjoy the supernatural elements to the storyline," Jumin replied in a very matter-of-fact tone. He often watched soap operas, enjoying the storytelling element and had a queue of recorded episodes to watch whenever he was free from work.

 

You eyed him cautiously, before nodding to yourself. "Do you have somewhere to be? If you were just going to watch it at home, you could just watch it here before you leave."

 

The offer surprised him but you did have a point. From a purely logical standpoint, it was more efficient to just watch the episode here. That was what he told himself as he sat on your couch, Elizabeth still in his arms. Watching the episode with you was a rather different experience. Jumin had never done this before with another person. Usually, it was just Elizabeth accompanying him as he watched, but even she tended to get bored of watching the humans on the screen and would wander off much to his private dismay. Neither of you said a word but still, the feeling was _different_ in a way that Jumin had trouble rationalizing. He hadn't expected watching this show with someone else in the room would make for such a contrast.

 

Both of you gasped as the maid Yun cast the romance spell with disastrous results. But to both of your dismay, the episode ended on a cliff-hanger and would likely only be resolved in the next installment.

 

"That's so creepy!" You exclaimed. "He's not even her soulmate and she _knows_ he loves someone else."

 

"People do tend to do irrational things when it comes to love. Though I'm unsure the spell would work seeing as she has no idea who his soulmate actually is," Jumin reasoned. He too was slightly worried because the show seemed to be taking a darker turn than initially expected.

 

You shook your head emphatically. "When it comes to things types of things, I think it's more about intent than anything else. She might not know all the details but to me, her will is pretty clear."

 

"Haewon will likely notice that something is wrong," he assured though he knew you had a point.

 

"I hope so…she seems so air-headed though. At least the main female protagonist is competent even though they're separated. Ugh, I wish they would just get together _already_."

 

Jumin felt a tinge of…disappointment when he realized he would undoubtedly have to take his leave now since the show has ended. It was growing late and it wouldn't do to dawdle needlessly. He wanted to say something as you escorted him to the door but he found himself somewhat at a loss for words. "I wish to thank you, once again. I assure you that your compensation will arrive shortly."

 

You shrugged. "It's fine. Watching Liz was actually pretty fun. Well, see ya around, weird cat guy."

 

"Good night," he murmured as the door closed behind him ignoring the fact that he felt a lot lighter leaving your apartment than when he first arrived.

 

That and you had smiled at him again.

 

* * *

 

 

**One.**

 

**One?**

 

**Level one.**

**Congrats weird cat guy, we apparently have things in common.**

 

**Is it really that surprising that we would share mutual interests?**

 

**Yes.**

**I mean we're pretty different fundamentally.**

**But the key to friendship is having things in common.**

 

**Your approach to friendship is very rational.**

 

**I'm just trying to put in terms that you understand.**

 

**Do you have many friends?**

 

**A few.**

**Most of them don't live in this city since they practice elsewhere.**

**Some are even abroad from when I went to school there.**

**What about you?**

 

**My closest friend is a photographer but he travels abroad rather often for his work.**

**I am also involved in a charity organization.**

 

**Wow! What a philanthropist!**

**I thought the only things you cared about were cats.**

 

**…**

**Cats are rather magnificent.**

**But the organization was started by a friend of mine.**

**I felt that the ideals were sound.**

**But we, unfortunately, haven't had an event in a while.**

 

**Is the group still active?**

 

**Yes, but we're all rather busy with our schedules.**

 

**Well, that's just adult life.**

**But I'm sure that things will work out.**

 

**You are correct.**

**It's pointless to worry about things needlessly.**

 

* * *

 

 

"And what's got you smiling, huh, Miss Grouch?" Insoo startled you but thankfully you didn't drop your phone otherwise you would have had to kill him.

 

"None of your business," You replied smoothly as you placed your phone in your pocket. If Dr. Yeun caught you texting when you were supposed to be working you'd be a dead person walking.

 

"Is that right?" Insoo arched an eyebrow. He knew you could get awful stubborn about your personal life so he didn't push. "Well whoever it is, thank them for me. You're in a surprisingly good mood today. It's a little concerning, actually; you're only like this when we have a gruesome surgery to do or when you get to chew someone out."

 

"I'm not _always_ in a bad mood," you grumbled. "Besides, _everyone_ hates mornings well, everyone except Areum but that doesn't count because she's an angel, not a person." Immediately after your statement, you helped yourself to one of the muffins Areum had brought into the breakroom today. She really was an angel.

 

"If Areum's an angel does that make you the devil?" Insoo laughed as he watched you stuff your face.

 

"Nope. That's Dr. Yeun, for sure. I'm like her evil underling or something," You sniped back as soon as you were done swallowing.

 

"You know Mom was wondering if you wanted to stop by for dinner sometime. She thinks you don't eat properly." Insoo's mom was completely correct but you weren't going to let Insoo know that. Last time you told him that he ended up buying you snacks for a week _and_ they were all healthy and gross. Never mind the fact that he ate chicken and drank beer as much as you did.

 

"Is Soojin going to be there?" You asked. Soojin roasted Insoo nearly as much as you did. For that _alone_ you loved her.

 

"Yup! And she's going to try to bring her soulmate but they're pretty busy."

 

"Hm?" You didn't have very many memories of Insoo's younger sister other than the fact that she had met her soulmate pretty early. Most people didn't meet theirs until their mid-twenties. Despite the fact that you've known Insoo and his family for years, you've never actually managed to meet Soojin's soulmate.

 

"Yeah, some business type. Soojin's so lucky! She won't have to work now since her soulmate is raking in that dough." Insoo rubbed his thumb and index finger together. "I hope my soulmate's rich!"

 

"Isn't she a writer or something?" You asked. "That's a lucky match for a starving artist type. And you really shouldn't wish for things like that you know."

 

"Poet, actually." Insoo sniffed haughtily. "Don't let her catch you calling her a writer. _Apparently_ , it's different. And you can't blame a guy for trying."

 

"Poet. Writer. Same thing. She's still broke, isn't she?" You smirked.

 

Insoo laughed. "She's going to be so pissed when I tell her that one. So you coming?"

 

What the hell. Insoo's mom was a retired chef; you sure as hell weren't going to pass up free food from a fucking chef. 

 

 

 

 


	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally become that crazy cat lady. You also almost kill your soulmate on accident (unknowingly, of course).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really playing up the robot!Jumin in this. 
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and hope to hear your thoughts on this new chapter!

 

Your morning was horrible, as usual. The moment you looked out the window and realized how bad it was raining, you knew you were going to get soaked even with your umbrella. Then you remembered that your umbrella was actually kinda broken since you kept meaning to buy a new one but kept putting it off so now it meant that you were completely fucked. Guess this meant you were arriving to work completely waterlogged.

You chugged down your coffee as you (briefly) contemplated calling in sick for the day which was pathetic but honestly, you hated the rain (actually you hated most weather…it was always too hot or too cold or too windy or too wet). But rain was fucking terrible. Water? Falling from the actual sky? Fuck _that_. The only thing worse was snow. Seeing as how everyone in the office knew how terrible your mood got when the weather was bad, it was pretty unlikely that Dr. Yeun would let you take the day off just to curl up in your blankets and watch T.V. Your inner thoughts were interrupted when you heard a loud knock on your door much to your confusion. You still had a bit of time before having to head out to work but you were still confused at who was at your door.

It was a courier who made you sign for an insulated cardboard box. Curious, you ripped it open to discover four containers of ice-cream still completely frozen. Unbidden, a smile grew on your face. Ice cream always made everything better. You didn't recognize the brand of the ice cream since it wasn't in Korean but rather…Italian. After doing some brief web searching, you soon realized that Jumin hadn't sent you ice cream but rather very expensive gelato that was likely shipped overnight internationally. At that point, your brain kinda blanked because who the fuck spent this much on ice cream? Well, technically gelato but you felt weird. You tried to chalk it up to class differences but it still made you feel a little special inside. How many people were able to say they ate premium gelato from Italy without leaving their home? You placed the containers away carefully, smiling a bit when they took up all the space that was left in your freezer…it seemed that he had at least listened to you somewhat even if you were certain you couldn't just buy these at any old store.

You wondered if Jumin realized you would have been satisfied with ice cream from a convenience store. He really didn't need to go all out like this but you reasoned that he did everything with excess so maybe this was really nothing to him? Still, you were beyond glad that you hadn't seen the bill because you would have had a stroke. While you weren't exactly thrifty, you never really spent needlessly. In fact, due to the cheap rent, you had a pretty healthy nest egg coming along.

You decided to call him as you left your apartment because you were never one to let a good deed go unpunished. That and you wanted to make it clear that your tastes were exceedingly simple…if he kept giving you expensive shit every time you watched Elizabeth you might develop a taste for this stuff which would be fucking terrible for your own wallet. And you should probably thank him because as much as you hated those etiquette lessons, your mother did not raise a gremlin.

"Jumin Han." You wanted to snort because who answered the phone like that? His voice was cold enough to make it snow outside and he had only said his name.

"Hi, it's me," you replied in a friendlier tone.

"Ah." He paused and it was rather awkward. Maybe you really should have done this over text. You never called him and he usually texted you to inform you about when he was going to pick up or drop off Liz. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope, just wanted to thank you for that expensive as shit ice cream you sent me. And to tell you to never do it again," you answered calmly. You struggled to close your front door as you juggled your semi-broken umbrella, a travel-size coffee mug, and your keys while talking on the phone. Listening to his voice over the phone was…strange. In a good way but still weird. Your brother Minhwan was the only guy you ever reliably spoke to over the phone. 

"Was there something wrong with the delivery? Do you not like it? I assumed that a commoner would enjoy the taste of gelato but perhaps it's too rich for your tastes."

"I really hope you're fucking joking, your highness. You know jack shit about my tastes, okay?" You grumbled as you finally managed to lock the door; it had a tendency of getting stuck when you weren't careful.  "And there's nothing wrong with it…I'm actually annoyed that I won't be able to taste it until I get off of work today. But honestly, I'd be fine with ice cream from a regular store -- you didn't need to go to all that trouble of having it _fucking_ shipped to me."

He hummed and you heard the ruffle of paper in the background. You wondered if he was already in the office, if that was the case then you shuddered to think about when he woke up. Maybe he didn't sleep? He did seem rather robotic sometimes…"Do you always curse this much?" He asked, the question completely unexpected.

"More," you deadpanned as you waved to your landlady as you passed her in the hallway.

"I recently read an article that people who curse more are more honest," Jumin supplied and you were honestly a little surprised that he kept the conversation going for this long. You had expected him to dismiss you after you thanked him.

"I curse more since I'm in a shitty mood. I'm going to get soaked by this rain today."

"Don't commoners have umbrellas?" He asked in confusion. "I thought those were rather easy to obtain for someone like you."

You sighed, rubbing your temples because you wanted to blow up at him. "They do but mine's broken. I've been meaning to replace mine but I haven't had time."

"You really shouldn't walk in the rain, you'll catch a cold," Jumin advised.

You scoffed in irritation. "You think I don't know that?" You were slightly surprised that Jumin Han would be giving _you_ health advice when he should be working.

"If you're ill you won't be able to watch over Elizabeth the Third properly." The fact that your value was only measured by what you could do for his cat wasn't lost on you. "I'll send Driver Kim to take you to work."

You were stunned silent for a few seconds before elegantly replying, "Um, what?"

"I'm sending a car to take you to your workplace."

Guess you _had_ heard right the first time. You weren't quite sure what to feel at this point. Part of you was amazed at his generosity but when you examined that, you realized that you really shouldn't be so surprised. To Jumin it seemed that money was nothing. He really didn't seem to be as greedy as you imagined a billionaire would be. In fact, it seemed that the only thing he truly seemed to care for was…Liz.

"Thanks," you murmured softly because honestly what else could you say to that? "I, uh, guess I'll let you go now."

"Goodbye. Driver Kim should be arriving shortly."

You heard the call disconnect and you felt off-kilter. You shook it off, telling yourself that he had only done it so you would be healthy enough to babysit Liz whenever he needed it. It had been a semi-friendly but also self-interested gesture. You were not going to read into it.

 

* * *

 

"So…how's life Soojin?" You asked. Insoo was in the kitchen helping his parents while you were helping Soojin set the table. Soojin's soulmate had yet to arrive but there was still some time left before dinner was served.

"An endless circle," she replied. You rolled your eyes, wondering how her soulmate put up with her shit. Soojin laughed at your expression before continuing, "I'm thinking of asking Jaehee to move in together."

"Congrats?" You said, unsure whether it was the appropriate response seeing as she had gotten unnaturally serious. Soojin wasn't nearly as goofy as her older brother but she had always been cheerful whenever you saw her.

"I'm hoping she agrees. She honestly needs someone to take care of her," Soojin said softly.

"And this has nothing to do with the fact that you want to be someone's trophy wife?" You had remembered her stating this whenever someone asked what she was going to do with her literature degree. You had mostly said that to lighten the mood a little because she was looking rather downcast.

"Hey!" Soojin yelled, her face flushed with embarrassment. "You know I was joking when I said that, right? And I'm being serious! She doesn't even usually have lunch because her asshole boss won't let her eat."

"What does he confiscate it or something?" You joked.

"Of course not." Soojin scowled. "He's a real bag of dicks, honestly. Jaehee's always complaining about this asshole. We've been fighting a lot about this actually because I want her to work for someone who respects and appreciates her."

 _Yikes_ , you knew Dr. Yeun was strict but she at least gave you breaks. Treating patients on an empty stomach was the worst. "Has she lodged a complaint? Or thought about quitting?"

"That's the thing! Whenever I point it out she goes on and on about how hardworking he is and how he's just a perfectionist and that he's not actually a bad person."

"Soojin…it sounds like your soulmate's a pushover," you replied much to her annoyance. "Does she even pack herself a lunch?"

Soojin blushed. "Well…no but…!"

"Look I'm not disagreeing with you. There's a pretty big possibility that he's a total douche and all but Jaehee doesn't seem to prioritize her health very much either. It's just a bad combo all around." You tried to explain yourself because Soojin was starting to get angry at you. It was very obvious that she was protective of her soulmate and you respected that.

Soojin sighed. "That's why I think we should live together. At least that way I know she's getting regular meals and stuff. Thank god Mom taught me how to cook."

"More like thank god you don't burn everything like I do." You laughed. "My own mother stopped letting me into the kitchen years ago."

"When are you going to get a trophy spouse of your own, huh?" Soojin asked coyly. She and Insoo were such gossips, honestly.

You rolled your eyes. "Why would I need one when there's delivery?"

Soojin shook her head before giving you a small grin. "I'm really hoping that you meet yours before Insoo because he's still salty about me meeting Jaehee in college."

"How'd you two meet anyway?" You asked. "It seems like you both live very different lives."

"It was at a play, actually. I've always been a big fan of theater and so is Jaehee. We met at a fan meeting for Zen."

You blinked, wondering if you heard that right. "Zen?"

"Yeah! He's this really great actor that's finally starting to get noticed. She actually knows him personally which is super cool. She sends me his selfies on the regular and let me just say…#blessed."

 _Whoa_ , small world. You were pretty surprised to learn that Jaehee actually knew Zen. Idly, you wondered if that meant that she also knew Yoosung.

Jaehee was more or less the same as you expected. She was still dressed in her work clothes when she arrived. She was pretty with very striking eyes though you noticed very quickly that the glasses she wore were fake. It was rather odd but maybe she was just wearing it as a fashion accessory? Jaehee didn't look like the type to care about fashion though. She had a pretty serious demeanor but she managed to crack a smile at Insoo's jokes and even laughed when Soojin threw a napkin at his face when her parents weren't looking.

The dinner went pretty well and now the six of you were getting ready to tuck into dessert when Jaehee's phone went off, signaling a work email. It was like a dark cloud settled over Jaehee and Soojin.

"Jaehee just ignore it," Soojin said. "Mom's serving tiramisu which is your favorite!"

"I can't just ignore Mr. Han, Soojin," Jaehee explained tiredly. "I have to answer it."

"He's just going to make you work on some bullshit project anyway! Why can't he just leave it until tomorrow?" Soojin asked as her voice rose.

"These things have deadlines so they must be completed in a timely manner."

"I swear it's like he can't wipe his own ass without you," Soojin muttered lowly as she crossed her arms. "Why don't you let me give Jumin- _fucking_ -Han a piece of my mind for you?"

You felt your stomach drop…Jaehee worked for Jumin Han. Your soulmate, the person who sent you imported gelato and a car to pick you up when it was pouring rain, was apparently the world's shittiest boss. And the person responsible for driving a wedge between Soojin and Jaehee.

You felt oddly guilty even though it wasn't your fault. None of this was actually your business but…Could you get Jumin to change his mind? Or at least ease up on Jaehee? Should you even do something about it? You quietly excused yourself to the bathroom with your phone in hand and dialed his number before you even fully left the dining room.

"Hey…it's me." Was this even a good idea? Fuck it. It was a little too late considering you had already dialed his number and he picked up already. Come to think of it, he was two for two for picking up the phone whenever you called him.

"Twice in one day?" He responded. "This is a surprise."

"Yeah, yeah. I promise to stop calling you because I know you hate it but…"

"I never said that," Jumin interjected. "While most of the time I find such chit-chat pointless, I can't help but find your musings interesting nonetheless."

Did Jumin actually _like_ talking to you on the phone? What the fuck?

You ignored your internal confusion and refocused. "Look I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

There was a long pause before he answered. "I see. How much?"

"What? No." You immediately responded. "That's not what I was going to ask, your highness. I've told you so many times that I don't want your money. I just want you to give your assistant the night off."

"…My assistant?"

"Uh, yeah. I know it's none of my fucking business but you're singlehandedly ruining my dinner."

"I don't quite understand. Why should I let my assistant have the night off?"

You knew you didn't have very much time knowing that Jaehee would probably leave as soon as Mama Kwon boxed up some leftovers for her. "A favor for a favor?" You suggested almost desperately because you really had no idea what to give to a man who had basically everything except common sense. "Do this no-strings-attached and I'll return it no questions asked?"

The line was silent for a while and you were half-expecting him to reject your offer when he finally replied, "Okay."

Holy shit, you couldn't believe that had actually worked.

"Is that all?"

"Yes. Just tell me your favor when you think of it," You added seriously. "And thanks, Jumin. It…really means a lot."

"Good night then. Enjoy your dinner."

"Bye."

You walked back to the dining room in half of a daze, wondering if giving Jumin Han a no-strings-attached favor would be something you would come to regret. Subconsciously, you also noticed that this was the very first time you had ever called him by his first name instead of 'weird cat guy' or 'your highness'.

 

* * *

 

Over the next few weeks, nothing had really changed except for the fact that you and Jumin Han apparently talked over the phone on a regular basis. So that was a thing now.

Oftentimes he would call you after your work had ended to complain about his own job while you were commuting back home. Hearing him complain about work was actually pretty funny to you because the tabloids made him out to be some kind of soulless, ice king when in reality he was just as overworked as everyone else. You were also starting to realize that this guy worked from sun up to long past midnight. No wonder Jaehee didn’t have normal business hours…your soulmate was basically living in his office. He still also didn't understand why you chose to use public transportation when he could just have Driver Kim take you. You, however, had long decided only to take him up on this when the weather was bad. 

And for a brief moment in time, you were pretty content with your life honestly. You were happy with your job and friends with your soulmate so you really weren't prepared for your life to turn upside again when you met the love of your life.

 

* * *

 

Jumin stopped reading the paperwork in front of him as his phone chimed. It wasn't the same noise as a notification from the RFA chat but rather it was a text message, most likely from you. He reached for his phone almost unconsciously. The two of you had been talking so much over the past few weeks that he almost didn't remember a moment of his life when he wasn't texting or calling you. It felt so natural to pick up the phone just to hear your voice whenever work got tedious.

He had to re-read the message several times as it felt like his heart had been ripped out his chest.

 

**I met the love of my life today. <3**

 

 _What is this feeling?_ He felt like his heart was being boiled alive and he couldn't breathe. He didn't like it -- at all. He wasn't sure how to stop it though. He felt the overwhelming urge to see you which was strange. Why did this news affect him at all? He very clearly stated that he had no desire of a romantic relationship and you were free to pursue whoever you desired. But judging by the very visceral reaction he was having, he didn't like that…at all.

 

**His name is Phil.**

 

Somehow, learning the name of your so-called beau was giving Jumin heart palpitations…was he having a heart attack? But that was impossible, his diet and workout routine was created by the best nutritionist in Korea. His doctor had even said with his health, it was quite possible he would live to see his 120th birthday.

 

**(attachment: phillybb.png)**

**Isn't he so handsome??**

 

He almost couldn't bring himself to look but he simply had to. He blinked rapidly several times as he looked at his phone screen. Phil _was_ handsome. He was a small black cat with luminous green eyes. Suddenly, as if by magic, Jumin could breathe again.

 

**I'm adopting him!!**

 

**Congratulations!**

**He's not as beautiful as Elizabeth, of course.** (=^･^=)

**But he definitely has his own charm.**

 

 

Jumin set his phone down on his desk as he inhaled shakily, mentally marveling at how quickly and effortlessly you managed to stir up his emotions. He opened a web browser on his laptop as he began a search with the words "heart pain" and then, after some thought, "soulmates". His eyes widened as he read some of the results on the screen.

Maybe…it was time to tell V of your existence. Jumin felt it was necessary to gain a second perspective on what was going on and perhaps then visit a doctor.

Everything would be fine, he told himself. He just had to make sure he wasn't actually dying first.

 


	5. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You make it your sworn duty to show this cat weirdo the wonders of fried chicken. Just two buds hanging out, eating greasy food, and watching super romantic soap operas. Yup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you noticed a change in the way they text each other, you are correct! considering the fact that they're more comfortable with each other now the texting styles will reflect that. also! jumin's not the only mess in this relationship lol. jumin is so falling so deep this poor cat mom has no idea what to do with his feelings

 

  **let's have a play date for our cats**

 

**Date?**

**Elizabeth doesn't date.**

**She has me.**

**(smirk)**

 

**…**

**it's an expression you weirdo**

**it'd be good to see how they interact with each other**

**if you ever need me to watch elizabeth again**

**besides don't you want to meet phil??**

**we can eat fried chicken and**

**watch** **_my only secret_ **

 

 

**Fried chicken?**

**(clueless)**

 

**…please tell me you're fucking with me**

 

**…**

**I feel as though this is a trap.**

 

**JUMIN HAN**

**you're KOREAN**

**how do you not know fried chicken????????**

**tHAT'S IT**

**friendship level revoked**

**you're back to level zero my guy**

**probationary status**

**EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY**

 

**Is that truly necessary?**

**It's just commoner food, after all.**

**I'm joking…kinda**

**I guess I never thought that**

**our lives were _that_ different**

**like I wouldn't be able to live**

**without fried chicken**

**or doughnuts.**

 

**…**

**I see.**

**Is that a new type of nut?**

 

**OH MY GODDDDDDDDD**

**you are NOT allowed be my soulmate**

**and not know the joys of junk food!!!!**

 

**I'm not sure if my nutritionist will approve.**

 

**eating like a commoner for one day**

**won't kill you, your highness**

**I promise**

**I'm a doctor**

**…sort of**

 

**You're a veterinarian.**

 

**hence the sort of**

**hush my child,**

**you shall see the wonders of delivery**

 

**If we are watching** _**My Only Secret,**_

**perhaps it would be done best at my home.**

**I have a theater room.**

 

**fine ok**

**but I get to buy all the food we're eating**

**wow I guess we actually made plans to hang out**

**…like real friends…**

**huh**

 

**Does this warrant a 'level up'?**

**(smile)**

 

**Don't push it Mr. Han.**

**You're still on probation**.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

"This isn't weird at all," you mumbled to Phil as you looked through your closet. "Nope. Just two buds hanging out, eating dope-ass fried chicken and watching my favorite drama."

Phil said nothing as he watched you from your bed. His dark green eyes were bright and attentive even though you were pretty sure he was giving you a knowing look. You were acting weird about this for absolutely no reason at all. Maybe it was because this was the first time you'd actually be going to his place? You never imagined that happening - at least definitely not under these circumstances. You had pictured him hiring you on as some sort of on-call vet for Liz.

You shook your head as you rummaged through your messy closet again. Initially, when you woke up you had seriously contemplated just wearing pajamas because you were just going to lounge around all day and eat shit food and watch shit dramas. If you were doing this at Insoo's place you wouldn't have batted a fucking eye at the thought but Jumin wasn't Insoo. Sometimes you wished he was because that would simplify _everything_. You'd be perfectly fine with being friends with Jumin Han if you didn't have that dumb soulmate thing hanging over your head. You hadn't felt nervous like this in a _long_ time. Privately, you knew it was because you wanted Jumin to like you as much as you did him. You _liked_ being friends with this cat weirdo.

"Get the fuck over yourself," you muttered, mentally willing your feelings to calm their shit. Why in the hell were you even feeling this weird about it anyway? _Ugh_ , you were starting to get irrationally annoyed at yourself when your phone rang startling Phil off the bed.

"What is it?" You snapped as you picked up without looking. If you were lucky whoever it was would hang up immediately because of your tone.

"It's me." _Shitshitshitshit_. Why was he calling you right now? You weren't supposed to meet for a few hours, right? You ran to your kitchen to check the time on the microwave and got confused. You were pretty sure you had the time right…

"Sorry, what was that?" You asked sheepishly, realizing that you hadn't been listening to him for the past few moments. "I got a little distracted."

"Are you alright?" Jumin asked. "You sound more…scattered than usual."

"It's been a weird morning," you answered hoping that he would leave it at that, exhaling forcefully. "And why are you calling anyway? Did I get the time wrong?"

"No," he stated firmly.

"Wait are you canceling?" You asked. Inwardly you were surprised at how disappointed you felt especially since a few moments ago you would have been pretty psyched _not_ to go.

"Of course not," he reassured. You waited awkwardly, wondering when he would just come out and say it. Jumin was never one to hesitate about anything so this was a little strange. "I was merely calling to ask about Phil's palate."

"His what?" You asked, a puzzled expression on your face.

"It means his --"

"I know what it _means_ Jumin." You interjected. "Why are you asking?"

"Well, I thought it only proper that if I was to eat like a commoner for a day that perhaps Phil would enjoy a meal of a…finer caliber."

"Are you trying to spoil my cat?" You were already imagining a large plate of freshly caught salmon.

"Think of it as expanding his horizons." Yup, _totally_ going to spoil him.

You huffed a laugh. "Yeah, and turning my own cat against me. Whatever you give him should be fine; he's not overly picky."

"Duly noted. I shall let you go then. Driver Kim will be on his way to pick you up."

 "Thanks for the ride, your highness. I'll see you soon."

The call ended and your feelings were no calmer than they were before.

Well, _fuck_.

 

* * *

 

The drive to Jumin's was fine. You liked Driver Kim who was rather friendly but knew how to give you space. Internally, you wondered what Driver Kim thought of you or if he realized your connection to Jumin. You doubted that Jumin would trust him if he thought the man was going to tip off the tabloids but still…had Jumin told anyone about you? You certainly hadn't told anyone about him which made you feel guilty about keeping such a big secret to yourself. At the very least you should have told your brother Minhwan. You encouraged yourself by reminding yourself it was only temporary. Eventually, you would have to tell someone about the fact that Jumin was your soulmate. It wasn't like you could keep this a secret forever.

You thanked Driver Kim for the ride as the car door opened. You were a little surprised to see a group of bodyguards standing outside the car within the underground parking structure. They were all wearing dark suits and sunglasses just like in the movies; it was so cliché that you wondered if Jumin had specifically assigned them the uniform. You looked them over, noticing that they all had more or less the same body type as well. And that there weren't any female bodyguards.

"Welcome, Miss Cho." One of the men greeted you.

"It's Dr. Cho, actually," you corrected.

"Apologies, ma'am. We're here to escort you to Mr. Han's penthouse."

You raised an eyebrow. Was Jumin expecting you to somehow injure yourself on the elevator ride? You understood abstractly why he likely needed them. Jumin was a rich, public figure and his father may or may not have made a lot of corporate enemies when they went international. But you certainly were nowhere near as important or prone to such danger. In fact, you doubted anyone knew who you were or your connection to Jumin. _Whatever_ , it was probably a good idea that they were here otherwise you might have gotten lost on your way there.

Instead of asking, you merely nodded. "Lead the way."

As they escorted you to the elevators, you kept getting the feeling that everyone was staring at you.  Stealthily, you checked yourself out in the front-facing camera on your phone. Nope, no radioactive zits or food on your face. You couldn't necessarily blame them since you were surrounded by a bunch of buff guys in suits but still. The general uneasiness of the situation activated your Bitch Face™.

The elevator ride was awkward, to say the least. You kept getting the feeling that the bodyguards were glancing at you from the corner of their eyes but when you tried to catch them in the act, their eyes were firmly trained away from you. You withheld a sigh, they were probably wondering why the hell Jumin Han asked them to escort _you_ and you were sincerely wondering the same thing. Phil made this sympathetic growling noise that somehow seemed to perfectly reflect how you felt right now. You held his cat-carrier closer to you trying to remind yourself why you were doing this. Why _were_ you doing this?

Your grip on Phil's carrier tightened as the elevator doors swung open.

"Please wait here, ma'am, as we inform Mr. Han of your arrival." You nodded impassively as you glanced around what appeared to be a lobby of some kind.

Everything seemed so…symmetrical and clean. It felt like you were in the lobby of a corporate office rather than someone's apartment. There were even more bodyguards posted out here and you wondered if he had hired his own private army or something. Was he always in constant danger to warrant so many? What the _hell_ had you gotten yourself into?

 

* * *

 

 

Jumin adjusted his tie again. _Everything had to be perfect_.

He had not yet been able to contact V seeing as the other man was currently shooting in a remote location and wouldn't be in cell-service range until next week. For now, Jumin had contented himself by creating an experiment that would coincide with your visit. He had to make sure that his newfound heart contractions were caused solely by your actions rather than other stimuli.

He was about to ensure that both of his cuffs were symmetrical in length when his head of security informed him of your arrival. His heart noticeably picked up though it wasn't nearly as prominent as it had been last time.

He opened his front door and caught sight of you in the lobby. For a moment, he took the time to take in your full profile seeing as it had been a while since he had last seen you. You were turned away from him, eyes trained on the wallpaper and he wondered what you were thinking about -- what the expression on your face was. From this angle, his eyes trailed over the length of you stopping when he realized that you were carrying a small black cat-carrier which presumably housed Phil.

"Mr. Han, will there be anything else?" His head of security asked.

Jumin inwardly cursed himself as your attention immediately turned to him. Had you caught him staring? Jumin felt a rush of embarrassment and annoyance, it was better to bring you inside.

"That is all," he responded curtly before dismissing them.

"Hey," you greeted. Your tone was much more subdued than he was expecting. He looked over your clothing, internally marveling at how different you looked at the moment. The first time he had met you, you had been wearing blue medical scrubs and all the other times you were dressed extremely casually. Today was the first time he got to see how you dressed normally. Your outfit was rather simple, merely a gray sweater with black jeans but for some reason, he couldn't take his eyes off of you.

"Welcome, I apologize for not picking you up personally. Please come in." Your face twitched in…he had trouble placing the emotion. His closest guess was likely surprise followed by annoyance. He pondered if spending more time with you would better allow him to understand your facial expressions. Jumin held the door open and directed you inside, refraining his urge to guide you by placing his hand on the small of your back. He wondered what it would be like to touch you so casually…how would you respond?

Jumin noticed immediately how the tension seemed to slowly dissipate from your shoulders after he closed the door. Had his bodyguards made you uncomfortable? Their conduct with you should have been the height of professionalism but he couldn't understand what else had made you so on-edge so quickly. Concern began to prickle at the back of his mind. He was about to ask what was wrong when you suddenly bent down, carefully setting the cat-carrier on the floor. Your hair fell the to the side, revealing your nape. His eyes were immediately drawn to it, his mind wondering about the softness of your skin and what your hair smelled like.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud mew as Phil climbed out the carrier. Jumin watched as you offered your hand to the small black cat who nuzzled against it. You gently lifted up the black cat, bringing him close to your chest as Jumin noticed the dark green collar.

"Sorry…Phil gets a little anxious inside the carrier." You offered Jumin a small smile. "He's not overly fond of new places…or people."

"It's no problem," Jumin responded, inwardly relieved that whatever strange mood you had been in was suddenly gone. Perhaps you had merely been worried about Phil which was more than understandable.

He watched, completely enraptured, as you lightly kissed the top of Phil's head before you asked, "Where's Elizabeth? We should probably introduce them first. Jumin, could you have her sniff Phil's cat carrier first and see how she reacts?"

Jumin mentally shook himself, disbelieving how distracted he got in your presence. Perhaps he was wrong? It wasn't just his heart that was affected…?

He lifted the empty cat carrier as he listened to you calmly explain details of cat behavior and the reliance on smell to mark territory. There was something so different about hearing the voice he listened on the phone in person, knowing that he would just need to look over to see your animated expression.

He set the cat-carrier on the floor next to his sofa where Elizabeth III was lounging regally as you stayed in the foyer, holding onto a squirming Phil. Elizabeth didn't immediately react though she eyed the new item with a healthy interest as she stood upright on her paws. She carefully walked over to the new object, circling it a few times before entering.

"What's she doing?" Your voice called. "Is she hissing or growling?"

"Elizabeth would _never_ do something so uncouth --"

Despite himself, Jumin smiled when he heard you loudly scoff. Secretly, he quite enjoyed it when you disagreed with him because it had been a rare occurrence in his life until he had met you. Others were always so eager to please him, to mold themselves to have a better chance at getting at his money or power. You had never once done so. You were always forthcoming with your opinions, never backing down from a disagreement, and your intentions so clear and honest that there simply wasn't a way for them to be misconstrued. That wasn't to say that you weren't confusing, in fact, he admitted that he found you utterly fascinating. Interacting with you was so much less tedious than with others and perhaps that was why he sought you out rather than avoid you. Being with you allowed Jumin to be himself -- not Jumin Han, the next CEO of C&R but just Jumin, proud owner of Elizabeth III.

"Hey! Jumin! Is she reacting badly?"

Jumin forcibly jolted out of his thoughts…what was wrong with him? Elizabeth hadn't reacted poorly at all to the carrier, in fact, she was sitting in it just fine without a care in the world. "It's fine. I explained to her that we were having guests today. She's perfectly well mannered."

He listened to your footsteps as you entered the living room, still carrying Phil carefully in your arms. "I just want to be cautious, alright? Phil came into the clinic in pretty bad shape and I would be a shitty owner if I didn't take care." The sight of you so fiercely protective made him feel warm inside.

Elizabeth poked her head out of the carrier in curiosity and the two cats made eye contact. He watched as you carefully set Phil down on the floor; he stayed cautiously by your feet merely eyeing the other cat. Elizabeth, however, was far more overt in her curiosity and immediately walked over. Phil stood stock still as Elizabeth sniffed him even going so far as nudging the younger male cat with her nose. After a brief amount of time, the Persian cat turned her attention away deciding to stalk back to her throne on the sofa. Moments passed before Phil chose to follow after her, his head glancing around the new room in wonder.

Jumin watched you release a sigh of relief. "Well, that went well."

"Were you really so worried something would go wrong?"

"My co-worker found Phil half-dead in an alleyway near our workplace. Judging by his age, we figured that he had been abandoned by an owner who wasn't ready for a kitten to grow up. He has a fickle temperament and while he's never really had a problem with other cats, I have no idea what he experienced on the streets."

"Is that why you took him in?" Jumin asked.

"I just looked into his eyes and _knew_ , you know? I could totally imagine me chilling on the couch with him, coming home after to work to feed him and…" Your eyes got a little distant but you quickly gathered yourself again. "And the fact that he seems to hate everyone except for me was a _huge_ plus. It's like having my own guard cat."

Jumin refrained from commenting on the last part seeing as he highly doubted that Phil was violent. The cat seemed calm and collected, lacking the anxiety you had hinted at before. He merely nodded before offering to give you a tour of his home which you readily accepted, leaving the two cats alone for now.

Jumin carefully watched your expression as he showed you the various rooms of the penthouse. He started on the rooftop, briefly showing you the rooftop garden because of how cold it was outside.  Next was the kitchen followed by the dining room. Your comments were polite but he was overly aware of how underwhelmed you seemed to be. It confused him since Yoosung and the others had always expressed envy whenever he described his home but you were distinctly dispassionate. It frustrated him because he wanted to _impress_ you. Jumin wanted you to like his home because he wanted you to sta---

He cleared his throat, attempting to derail his current trail of thought. The only moment you showed a glimmer of interest was when Jumin showed you the floor to ceiling aquarium. It was a recent addition to the penthouse, not included in the original design and a rather _whimsical_ choice. Watching the fish swim in their contained space calmed him -- there was a certain order to it that appealed to him and when he caught Elizabeth staring at them as well, he knew she understood. Elizabeth was the only one who truly understood him. But you were an anomaly, that was for certain.

 

* * *

 

"Wait so you've never had a burger?" Your eyebrows rose dramatically though at this point you really shouldn't be surprised. Jumin really lived a very different life from you. "Like ever?"

"I have heard of it," he defended himself. "Though I must confess that I'm not entirely certain of its contents."

"Okay, that is _it_." Jumin looked confused as you took out your phone and opened it to take notes. "I can't let this go…"

The two of you were currently in his theater room, sitting on one of the plush couches with an array of food in front of you. Jumin had initially tried to trick you into letting him pay for the fried chicken but you held fast to your promise. Phil and Elizabeth were sleeping on a nearby sofa, their cuddling giving life to your cold, dead heart especially since Phil was the little spoon. You and Jumin had a field day taking pictures of them together even when Phil got rather crotchety at the attention. Elizabeth, however, took the limelight with grace as she always did.  The two cats were still full from all the yummy salmon Jumin had provided (which you had _totally_ fucking called by the way) and you doubted they were going to do anything besides laze around anytime soon.

All of your previous anxiety and worry had completely disappeared the longer you stayed there. At this point, you even had your feet up on the couch, unworried and uncaring about how it might look. If Jumin had a problem with this, he didn't speak up. He was still seated properly on the far side of the couch, and you had had to bend your knees to keep from touching him accidentally with your socks (you had taken your shoes off because you weren't a _complete_ animal).

"Savory or sweet?" You asked him. While you wanted him to try the full range of commoner food, you would at least be accommodating to his personal preferences.

"While I don't necessarily dislike anything in particular, I am more partial to savory." You rolled your eyes fondly at his long-winded reply. Jumin always took such care in what he said and you found his rigidity amusing and his brief moments of informality even more so.

"Thoughts on noodles?" You asked. "Oh! And how do you feel about spice?"

"Spice?" His eyebrow rose.

"Yeah! Honestly spicier the better for me."

"I'm unbothered by it," Jumin replied as though he wasn't just throwing down a fucking gauntlet. You loved dragging people into spicy hell with you and Jumin would be no exception.

"Famous last words, your highness. _Famous last words_." You nodded to yourself as you continued to type on your phone. He was _so_ going to regret that later. "Okay, I've made a pretty basic list of things you need to try. From someone who lives off delivery and microwave meals, I'm pretty sure that _your_ sheltered palate needs broadening."

"You can make meals with a microwave? _Amazing_. Commoners are truly inventive."

You viciously threw a pillow at him without even looking up from your phone. It was such an ingrained habit whenever your brother said something stupid that you didn't even realize that you did it to _Jumin_ until a few moments later.

As soon as the realization hit you, you dropped your phone in surprise and looked up at Jumin in worry. "Oh my god…I…" Only to receive a pillow to the face.

Your mouth was completely open in shock as you looked at Jumin's raised eyebrow, mouth drawn into a smirk.

Oh it was _so_ fucking on. There was no fucking way you were going to let some rich boy beat _you_ at pillow fighting. The battle was vicious and underhanded -- a wayward pillow flying and colliding with a pair of less-than-amused kitties. You were kneeling on the couch, holding the sole remaining pillow in your hands high above your head. Your face was flushed and your torso heaving, breathless from laughter. On your knees, you had the obvious height advantage whereas Jumin was cornered with his back against the arm of the couch.

Jumin was using his forearm to partially shield his face. His expression seemed to mirror yours, his breathing as shallow as yours. You had done quite the number on him -- his hair was completely messed up and sticking out in weird angles, his necktie completely askew.

You bit your lip but couldn't help the bubble of laughter that left you because, honestly, this was _so_ ridiculous. How many people would believe that this so-called serious businessman was semi-decent at pillow fighting? You were distracted by Jumin as his eyes immediately flickered to you as you were attempting to stifle your laughter. He gave you a small smile and you felt your heart flutter. Time seemed to move a little slower as though you couldn't look away from his eyes. Had they always been so silver? So expressive?

Your heart began to beat faster as your brain tried to make sense of what the actual _fuck_ was happening right now.

You lowered your arms as that question reverberated through your mind, dropping the pillow. You got up from the couch, ignoring the way Jumin's face smoothed over in confusion and started picking up the many scattered pillows around the room.

_Nopenopenopenope_. You were mentally chanting those butterflies dead because you knew it wasn't going to end well. This asshole was in love with his cat for fuck's sake.

You were _not_ catching feelings for weird cat guy.

 


	6. VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're complete shit at coming up with excuses but somehow your soulmate still manages to be more awkward than you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> people always make jumin out to be some kind of ladykiller and while I don't doubt his silver tongue abilities, I feel like he has great potential to be pretty awkward
> 
> I hope that at least one person finds this chapter funny. 
> 
> Also btw shark week is totally on urban dictionary but for the sake of this story let's pretend it's not. 
> 
> tw for mentions of menstruation??

 

 After your freak out in Jumin's penthouse because of the Pillow Incident™, you were…less responsive to Jumin via text. You still picked up when he called but you were slower to reply to any messages he sent. It was dumb, you knew, but you wanted some space to sort out your feelings. You felt like you were entitled to it because honestly, you were only really built to process one emotion at any given time. And the thought that you might actually be feeling something… _romantic_ for someone who had been so brutally against it was just a dumb fucking move.

 

**I want to invite you to another**

**social engagement to watch My Only Secret.**

**Perhaps next week?**

 

You wouldn't lie to Jumin since you took honesty very seriously but the truth was that seeing him was the absolute _last_ thing you wanted to do. After the Pillow Incident™, you felt undeniably awkward about seeing him but you also felt guilty. He very clearly just wanted to hang out again like a _real_ friend would but here you were trying your best to avoid the guy. Your excuse was lame but true and hopefully awkward enough that he'd leave it at that. 

 

**I can't.**

**It's shark week.**

 

* * *

 

 

> **Jumin Han: I am curious about this new commoner phrase "shark week".**
> 
> **Jumin Han: I attempted to search this phrase in the edition of Urban Dictionary that Luciel gifted me,**
> 
> **Jumin Han: but the term is not present.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Shark week??**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: (confused)**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: I had no idea that sharks have a holiday!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Too bad we don't get time off from school…**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: (cry)**
> 
> **Jumin Han: So it is not a real holiday then?**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Probably not???**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Do you think it's a new thing?**
> 
> **Jumin Han: I am unsure.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Where'd you hear about it anyways??**
> 
> **Jumin Han: I was texting a colleague who declined plans due to this "shark week".**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: whoa really???**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: they must really like sharks**
> 
> **Jumin Han: …**
> 
> **Jumin Han: They did admire my aquarium when they visited the penthouse.**
> 
> **ZEN  has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: ah! Zen!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Do you know what shark week is?**
> 
> **ZEN: ;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: I think I've heard about it;;**
> 
> **ZEN: A friend of mine is a huge fan.**
> 
> **ZEN: It's a documentary series that runs for an entire week each year.**
> 
> **ZEN: I never really got into it but apparently it's really popular.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Ah! So it's a show not a holiday**
> 
> **Jumin Han: I see.**
> 
> **Jumin Han has left the chatroom.**
> 
> **ZEN: I can't believe that jerk just left without thanking me;;;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: (angry)**

 

* * *

  
 

 

> **707: shark week is so kewl tbh**
> 
> **707: I wonder if they're going to show sharknado**
> 
> **707: or or or Mega Shark!!!**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom.**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: …**
> 
> **707: hey hey Jaehee!!**
> 
> **707: are you excited for shark week??**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: …**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: (attachment: looks_into_camera_like_on_the_office.gif)**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom.**

 

* * *

 

 

**why the fuck did you**

**just send me**

**a Shark Week DVD set????**

**also why are you sending me**

**unsolicited stuff in the mail??**

**like wtf am I going to do with**

**all of these shark dvds**

**phil likes the shark plushie tho**

**so thanks for that!! ^^**

 

**Is that not what you were referring to?**

**I confess that I didn't immediately recognize**

**the term but as I researched it I found it rather**

**fascinating. Though cats are still far better creatures.**

**Sharks have a ruthlessness that would come handy in business.**

 

_Wait…did he really think that…oh my god_. You couldn't necessarily blame him but did that mean you'd have to explain to him what it really meant?

 

**(** **・** **_** **・** **;;)**

**Jumin…**

 

**Yes?**

**Also, would you be interested in watching it together?**

 

Despite your resolution to not spend time alone with Jumin until you sorted out your feelings, you couldn't help that small rush of happiness when you saw how eager he was to watch it with you. _God-fucking-damnit_. That was not conducive to getting rid of _those_ feelings at all.

 

**you really don't know women at all do you?**

 

**I don't understand what you mean.**

**Elizabeth is the only woman I need.**

**Why would I need to know other women?**

**They're all the same to me.**

 

Reading those words felt like a sucker punch to the throat. Why were you such a fucking idiot? Maybe you were just finally feeling a desire for a romantic relationship? Had your period kick-started some weird hormone cocktail and that was why your gut was suddenly housing a bunch of butterflies for this weirdo?

 

…That actually made a _lot_ more sense.

 

* * *

 

 

"Assistant Kang, you're a woman…"

 

 

* * *

 

 

**I asked my assistant about Shark Week.**

**And she told me it was inappropriate for the workplace.**

 

**you asked your assistant??????/**

**are you crazy???????????**

 

Oh my _god_ you had to beg forgiveness from Jaehee now. Maybe even buy her coffee. Yup, you were totally buying her coffee for like a week. Good lord this woman deserved a raise _and_ a paid vacation for putting up with Jumin's shit on a regular basis.

 

**I don't see what the problem is.**

**Your text implied that it is about women.**

**So asking one was the next logical step.**

 

**Jumin I'm menstruating.**

**Shark Week is how I refer to it.**

 

**…**

**Why do you call it that?**

 

**Because there's a lot of blood,**

**anger, and I feel the potent**

**urge to bite off someone's limb**

**for the entire week.**

 

**…**

**…**

**I see.**

 

**please please please**

**apologize to your assistant**

**and tell her I'll pay for her coffee**

**for a week**

**I can't fucking believe you asked her that**

 

 

**I see now how it was inappropriate.**

**But I must reiterate that it was never**

**asked with any impure intentions**

**if you had merely explained what it was,**

**this situation would have never occurred.**

 

**…**

**Are you fucking blaming me??**

 

**…**

**I believe that there is some**

**level of blame to be placed on** **_your_ **

**miscommunication.**

**Also, you never answered my**

**earlier question.**

 

**_Unbelievable._ ** ****

**It is difficult to tell over text but**

**are you angry at me?**

 

**…**

**Just talk to me in a few hours**

**when I'm less liable to punch you**

**in the throat.**

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

> **Jaehee Kang: (sigh)**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Jaehee??**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: What's wrong?**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Well…**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: …**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Mr. Han has been behaving strange.**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Even more so than usual.**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: He actually…** **_apologized_ ** **to me.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Whoa!!!!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Really???**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: That doesn't really sound like Jumin lol**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: I was rather shocked.**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Then he offered to buy me coffee for a week.**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: For a second, I thought he had taken ill.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: That's…actually pretty nice of him.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: (shocked)**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: Yes I know.**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: It's been confusing.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Wait…what did he apologize for?**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: That's…rather private.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: ???????**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: He even asked me for advice.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: What????????**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Advice on what?????;;;;**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: …**
> 
> **Jaehee Kang: I feel I shouldn't say.**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: More secrets???????????;;;;;;**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: (shocked)**

 

* * *

 

"I'm sorry for blowing up on you earlier. I wasn't really angry at you but rather myself. I have a tendency to take it out on other people and it's something that I'm trying to work on…so…yeah." You gently stroked Phil on your lap as you spoke to Jumin on the phone. You were pretty self-aware of your flaws…sometimes even _overly_ aware of them. You had called Jumin after berating yourself for half an hour especially since Jumin had gone to the trouble of sending you a box full of Shark Week DVDs which you still had no idea what do with. Did your soulmate really just give out gifts like this so casually?

"Why are you mad at yourself?" Jumin really went for the jugular for these types of things.

You sighed. "I'm sorting through something emotional right now and it's been pretty frustrating."

You probably shouldn't be talking to him about this but getting this off your chest felt good. You wouldn't tell him that he was the primary reason for your frustrations but telling _someone_ even just a little about how you felt was rather gratifying. You couldn't have this conversation with Minhwan or Insoo because they'd want to pry and find out who you were having these feelings for and that was a can of warms you didn't want to open just yet.

"Emotions are rather unnecessary. You should just ignore them; they're a waste of time."

You blinked rapidly several times. _Ignore your emotions?_ Was that what Jumin did? That explained _so_ much.

"I've tried that before and it doesn't really work." That was the truth. You felt everything and never bothered to hide it…much. They were your emotions, after all. Maybe that was why you were so difficult all the time. You expressed everything you felt - the good, the bad and _especially_ the ugly.  " _Wait_ …do you ignore all of your emotions? Including the good ones?"

Jumin was silent for a touch too long which completely confirmed your fears. You felt your chest tighten in physical pain as the revelation hit you. Jumin really just…cut himself off from his emotions - never allowing himself to feel anything good or bad. How did he continue to live? Was his attachment to Elizabeth III just a symptom of what he was doing? Or was it making things worse? From the phone calls and the texts, you had started to suspect that things were…not all that great for Jumin in his personal life especially considering his borderline obsession with his pet (like Liz was _amazing_ but Jumin definitely toed the line of appropriate pet owner sometimes). So having your suspicions confirmed like this was…shocking.

"Your concern is unneeded. I'm fine." His words sounded completely hollow to you; so practiced, so worn, so weary. "I've read somewhere that telling someone your problems can help you feel better. While I find the very idea rather irrational, perhaps it could alleviate your issue."

"You really want to know?" You asked, surprised at his suggestion. Sure you were friends… _sort of_. But you always assumed that you were fair-weather friends -- you didn't expect him to actually want to help you emotionally. Especially since Jumin's advice for emotional woes was to apparently ignore the fact that you _had_ emotions in the first place. He was pretty much the last person you should probably go to for emotional support.

"If it helps you." What the hell did _that_ mean?

If he wanted you to treat him as you would a real friend, then you would oblige his wishes. "Something didn't turn out the way I wanted and it's frustrating me. What's worse is that I _knew_ it probably wasn't going to end well -- I knew that ahead of time but I still got my hopes up for it only to get disappointed."

You knew it was vague but you didn't want to elaborate anymore. Jumin was incredibly gullible but he wasn't stupid. Or at least, not overtly so. He could be a pretty sharp guy and the absolute last thing you wanted was for him to even _suspect_ that you might have un-platonic feelings for him.

Jumin was quiet as he processed this. "This sounds remarkably similar to a project my father had forced me to undertake. I knew ahead of time that the project would likely fail but he was so adamant due to the encouragement of his girlfriend that I had to see it through despite wanting to cut my losses earlier on. I wanted to make my father proud by making this business venture successful but it still ended in failure."

"Yikes," you commiserated. You had no idea what it was like to work with a family member not to mention one who apparently allowed his girlfriends to influence his business decisions. "Please tell me that you at _least_ gave him a solid 'I told you so'."

"He's my father," Jumin responded as though that said it all. "We have a good relationship even though his tendencies can make life difficult at times. Though I suppose retribution was delivered when they broke up two weeks later."

"So how'd you deal with it?" You asked, especially curious now that you knew that Jumin apparently ignored his emotions.

"Well when one project fails, it's only logical to undertake a new one and work hard to ensure its success."

So he literally ignored how his father upset him and just started a whole new project? _What the actual fuck_?

Jumin's advice was pretty pragmatic to your situation though. If one project failed, start again.

Despite your soulmark's less than romantic words, you had still held out a small hope that they'd be the _one_. The prophesied one true soulmate popularized by movies, television and books. The person you were meant to spend your life with and Jumin had made that pretty clear that he wasn't that person. Maybe…maybe that just meant you were supposed to find that person yourself.

"Thanks, Jumin. I actually feel a lot better now." And the strange part was that you did feel better. So _what_ if weird cat guy wasn't interested in you. If you wanted a romantic relationship, you would damn one find one yourself. "Huh, guess it actually worked."

"I'm glad."

 

* * *

 

 

**Look at this wonderful picture of**

**Elizabeth I took earlier today.**

**(attachment: elizabethiii.png)**

 

**why the fuck does Liz look**

**like a fucking cryptid?**

 

 

**I know it can be surprising but**

**Elizabeth is 100% real though**

**her perfection does**

**defy reality.**

 

**WAIT**

**_You_ ** **took this photo??**

 

 

**Of course, I think it captures her**

**grace quite well.**

 

**thanks your highness**

**I really needed that laugh**

**:')**

 

**I did not mean to make you laugh.**

**But I'm not unhappy with your reaction.**

**Elizabeth inspires joy in me all the time.**

 

**…**

**yeah**

**phil makes me happy too**

 

**Have your menses completed?**

**You seem to be in a much better mood.**

 

**hey cat weirdo**

**asking women abt their period is**

**super rude**

**just take that as a general rule**

 

**I apologize if I offended you.**

**My internet research didn't mention that.**

 

**eh I have a pretty thick skin**

**I'm more worried about you**

**offending someone else**

**why were you doing internet research?**

 

 

**After our previous conversation**

**I thought it would be best to take**

**precautionary measures.**

 

**Precautionary measures?**

 

**Yes, I learned that heating**

**pads are quite helpful for cramps.**

**As your soulmate, I feel responsible**

**that you don't experience unnecessary pain.**

 

**…You feel responsible for me?**

 

**As my veterinarian,**

**your health is important.**

 

**'my veterinarian'?**

**i'm not your vet**

**isn't that actually dr. yeun?**

 

**I wanted to find an appropriate**

**sobriquet for you.**

**Is it satisfactory?**

 

**….**

**that's actually adorable**

**your highness**

**but using my profession**

**isn't a good nickname**

**lol**

**but good attempt**

 

**I see.**

**I didn't realize that there**

**were nuances involved**

**when choosing**

**such a thing.**

 

**It helps if it's funny**

**or related to an**

**inside joke.**

**It's just supposed**

**to be casual.**

 

**But addressing me**

**as your highness**

**is actually rather formal?**

 

**I call you that because**

**you remind me of a sheltered**

**prince kinda like a character**

**in a story.**

 

**I do have rather**

**prince-like qualities.**

**(smirk)**

**Does that make you**

**the peasant in this**

**situation?**

 

 

**yeah if you start calling me that**

**I'm going to turn Liz against you**

 

**…**

**You're bluffing.**

 

**Do you really want to take**

**that chance, your highness?**

**I am pretty knowledgeable about**

**animal psychology…**

 

**Is that a threat?**

 

 

**Why?**

**Do you feel threatened,**

**your highness?**

**;)**

 

**I will sue you dry if**

**you even** **_consider_ **

**turning Elizabeth**

**against me.**

 

**I'm just a mere dumb**

**commoner, your highness.**

**But.**

**It'd.**

**Be.**

**An.**

**Awful.**

**Shame.**

**If.**

**Liz.**

**Liked.**

**Me.**

**Better.**

 

_**Mina.** _ ****

 

**:)))))))))))))))))**

 

 

 

 


	7. VII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're pretty sure that everyone who works at C&R is a robot in disguise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what up, it's 2018 and this bitch still loves jumin han
> 
> in all seriousness tho, i want to thank everyone who commented on the last chapter. yall made me tear up!! glad to see everyone enjoyed it!! would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter.

"Assistant Kang!" A loud whisper shook Jaehee from her daze; she had been staring at reports for a solid three hours now and was in dire need of more coffee. She blinked tiredly, glancing around at her desk wondering if she had finally lost it. "Assistant Kang!"

She turned her head to see some of her office minions (being Chief Assistant did have its perks at times like being able to order someone else to get coffee for her…even if she _still_ had to get Mr. Han's coffee order) fidgeting at her door.

Eunjung and Chinhae were leaning into the doorway of her office, gesturing wildly albeit quietly as they attempted to get her attention. Jaehee was immediately suspicious. Eunjung was known as the office gossip and often roped Chinhae into her schemes but the two usually steered clear of Jaehee, knowing that the woman disdained such behavior especially when there was work to be done (which was _always_ ). How Mr. Han hadn't managed to fire the pair of them was a mystery though they did manage to get some work done on occasion and their information-gathering skills were second to only hers in the office. She just wished they used their skills for more work-appropriate purposes.

"What is it?" Jaehee asked mildly. Perhaps it was a work-related issue _for once_.

"Assistant Kang!" Chinhae whispered again as he gestured for her to stand up. Both Eunjung and Chinhae were oddly crouched as though they were attempting some measure of stealth and it reminded Jaehee of Luciel's antics as she inwardly rolled her eyes.

"There's -- there's a woman here to see Mr. Han!" Eunjung whispered urgently as though she was witnessing an omen foretelling the apocalypse.

Jaehee blinked rapidly. That wasn’t all too unusual. Most clients did meet Mr. Han in his office and on occasion those clients were women. Jaehee had witnessed Mr. Han manipulating several of these women over absurdly luxurious business lunches…always with the intention of securing the best deal, of course. He never saw those women ever again, often dodging multiple invitations to other…excursions. "Well, perhaps it's a client…"

"Nope!" Eunjung interjected her arms formed an 'x' shape. "Definitely not dressed like a client! She's not even wearing business casual. She's wearing… _jeans_ ," Eunjung spat the word as though it was something vile, " _and_ she came escorted by his bodyguards!"

 _Not a client_? That was…odd. In all of her time working for Mr. Han, Jaehee had never met a woman from Mr. Han's personal life before. The closest she had ever come to it was an old girlfriend of the Chairman but she wouldn't go so far as to say that woman was closely related to Mr. Han in any way.

"We shouldn't interfere with Mr. Han's business," Jaehee replied since that was the safe answer even though her curiosity was definitely piqued. This job did pay rather well and Mr. Han didn't necessarily pay her to gossip about him (though he also didn't pay her to watch the damn cat but he had oddly stopped leaving it in her care as of late). "It's likely a client after all."

"Choonhee's chatting her up right now but the woman's not giving anything away," Chinhae's voice quietly interjected.

Choonhee was the secretary and was also in charge of greeting any guests that came to talk to Mr. Han but Jaehee also knew her be a world-class distraction. Most of the time her job was spent placating guests until Mr. Han was ready for them. Or occasionally distracting them while Mr. Han made a clean getaway in his limo. To this day, Jaehee doubted Mr. Han even knew the name of his secretary considering his father's _inclinations_. Choonhee was happily married as far as Jaehee could tell. She and her partner were even expecting a child six months from now.

"C'mon, Assistant Kang. Don't you want to see her?" Eunjung asked slyly. Her lipstick-framed smile was smug in the fluorescent lighting. "Guess that means the office bet is over…Looks like Mr. Han isn't gay after all."

"Now don't be _hasty_ ," Chinhae murmured as he adjusted his glasses -- he stood to lose a pretty penny if that were true. Chinhae was the quieter of the two but Jaehee had her doubts as to whether he was any less of a gossip than Eunjung. "Assistant Kang hasn't confirmed nor denied whether this woman is from Mr. Han's personal life."

Eunjung raised an eyebrow. "She's damn well not a client, Chinhae!"

"Nevertheless, for propriety's sake, we need more information," Chinhae angrily whispered back as he awkwardly adjusted his stiff collar.

"Oh just stop being a sore loser!" Eunjung sniped back as she crossed her arms.

Despite herself, Jaehee found herself intrigued. She did have a stack of papers that she was going to deliver to Mr. Han's office anyways…

* * *

 

If going to his penthouse was bad, meeting Jumin at his office was worse. The people definitely stared a lot more blatantly here, at least. The bodyguards did little to deter the staring, unfortunately. The fact that you apparently had to wait for his royal highness to come of out his office certainly didn't help your mood any -- especially since he had _asked_ you to come to his office specifically. The secretary was definitely friendly, you'd give her that though she had done her best to pry some information out of you but you knew better. Office gossip and all that nonsense. Then again, it was Jumin's _brilliant_ idea for you to come here which you still didn't understand why considering he wanted your relationship to remain a secret. This was just inviting all kinds of trouble.

"I apologize for the wait but perhaps if you told me what you were meeting Mr. Han for, I could notify--" You couldn't tell if her smile was genuine but something about her made your gut uneasy. Hell, your gut had been uneasy since you stepped into the building. You had never been good with people and formal settings often put you on edge. And seeing that you were currently in a super expensive office surrounded by well-dressed people, well, your irritation was through the roof.

"That's not necessary I'll wait," you stated coldly as you crossed your arms. It was all you could do not to tap your foot in irritation. The fact that Jumin had his bodyguards escort you through the building definitely hadn't fucking helped. You were a lot quicker to be angry at him now, you reflected. You wondered if that was because you were still hurt by the fact that you liked him as _more than a friend_ when he clearly didn't. It was easier to be angry at him than lovesick.

Efforts on looking elsewhere were…slow. You had downloaded a dating app on your phone but hadn't bothered to sign up for a profile yet. You had drafted and deleted several texts to Soojin telling her you were finally looking for a trophy spouse but your instinct was telling you _not yet_. You rationalized that it would probably take you some time considering that this urge for a romantic partnership was still pretty new to you. You had been all too happy to simply wait and continue to push it off but, for some reason, waiting seemed almost _unbearable_ now. Even so, you were less than eager to just _jump_ into a relationship. Even with your inexperience, you knew that would be a total disaster.

"Could I offer you some refreshments while you wait for Mr. Han?" The secretary smiled pleasantly. "Coffee, tea or juice? We also have sparkling water if you prefer."

You frowned internally, didn't she have a job to do besides babysitting you? Was fetching drinks really part of her job description? Didn't she have to do…well…secretarial tasks or something?

"No, thank you," you declined as politely as you could. You couldn't help but feel guilty at her slight frown since she was very obviously distressed that you weren't engaging in her hospitality. "Shiii-- uh, I mean I guess I could take some water. But like normal water, please. None of that sparkling _nonsense_ rich people made up."

Her smile immediately brightened. "Right away, ma'am!"

"Hey, uh…wait!" Good lord why were you so awkward?

The secretary turned immediately giving you her full attention. It was still a little creepy how attentive she seemed even though you knew that was just her job.

"Do you guys want anything?" You asked the bodyguards who had been simply standing at attention for the past twenty minutes. They shook their heads simultaneously which would have been weird if you hadn't figured out by now that they were men of very few words. "Then make sure to get yourself something too, uh, Ms. Choonhee?" You hastily added as you glanced at the nameplate on her desk.

Her smile dropped in intensity but, instead of looking dejected, her expression was actually a tad more genuine. It resembled more of regular smile…not the _business-friendly_ one you'd seen so much here. You were starting to suspect that working here just sucked the life out everyone here…Jumin included.

God-fucking-dammit, you were _never_ meeting Jumin at his workplace again if you could manage it.

* * *

 

"So what's she like, Choonhee? Spill every detail!" Eunjung pressed as they cornered the woman. Jaehee really should have made her way to Mr. Han's office by now but she had gotten sidetracked by the idea of getting more coffee into her system ( _…precious…coffee…_ ).

"If she's a client she's definitely the strangest one…" Choonhee responded as she grabbed a water bottle (imported, of course) from the glass cupboard.

"Told you she's a client!" Chinhae crooned gleefully.

"Yah! Choonhee said if! If! We still don't know!" Eunjung flipped her hair angrily.

"Well if she's not a client why else would she be here?" Chinhae asked in exasperation as he threw his hands up in the air. "Mr. Han doesn't waste time. That's a cardinal sin in business."

"Assistant Kang, what's on Mr. Han's schedule right now?" Choonhee asked in curiosity. "That should settle the matter."

Jaehee looked up from her coffee mug and eyed three expectant faces. She actually didn't mind telling Choonhee since the woman was also privy to Mr. Han's schedule for when he was supposed to expect clients but the other two…well if it stopped their shenanigans for a little while, it would be worth it.

"Huh, that's odd," Jaehee remarked as she looked at her phone. "I don't remember putting this on the schedule."

Eunjung raised an eyebrow. "But aren't you the one in charge of his schedule?"

"Well, technically it is Mr. Han's schedule as well. He can make the necessary changes but he typically tells me to do so."

"So that means that Mr. Han made the entry himself?" Choonhee asked, "What's the title?"

"It just says…lunch with my veterinarian."

"Okay, that's a little weird but…" Eunjung began.

"Nope!" Chinhae interjected. "It's probably related to one of his cat projects and totally professional."

It would have been, Jaehee mentally agreed, if it hadn't been for the fact that Mr. Han had apparently cleared out _the rest of his schedule for today_ just for this lunch. She was already getting a migraine thinking about fixing his schedule later.

* * *

 

The four employees were listening in to their boss talk to the new arrival but unfortunately lacked a good visual on the pair, having to settle for hiding in an adjacent hallway and hoping that Mr. Han wouldn't spot them.

"I sincerely apologize. A conference call ran much, much later than expected." They heard Mr. Han's voice.

"Oh dear me. Is your highness truly apologizing to such a lowly commoner like myself? I thought royals didn't trouble themselves with the problems of the plebeians." Eunjung stifled a giggle and even Jaehee found her lips curling into a smile from the woman's heavy sarcasm.

"I truly am sorry. This is the one item on my list I had been looking forward to all morning." The four shared astonished looks. Was Mr. Han sincerely apologizing to someone?

"Yeah," there was a pause before the woman replied, "Me too. But you could have told me you were busy, Jumin. I mean I could have spent this entire time eating but I had to wait for your sorry ass. We could have totally just re-scheduled, weirdo, I'm not some fucking child that'll throw a tantrum if you need to cancel." This woman was much…crasser than the other women Mr. Han had ever bothered to meet for business, Jaehee noticed. The fact that she had used Mr. Han's first name meant volumes. He likely respected her then if he allowed her the privilege.

"Has anyone ever told you that you get rather cranky when you don't eat?" Chinhae choked on a laugh and Eunjung had to elbow him for making a little too much noise.

The quartet heard the woman laugh -- it was a pleasant sound, the kind of laugh that brought a smile to your own face. "Just for that, _I'm_ buying lunch, your highness." Her laugh was familiar to Jaehee which was odd -- her voice as well, now that she thought of it.

"I thought a proper penalty meant that the guilty party is supposed to pay? It was incredibly rude of me to keep you waiting like that."

"Oh, you're definitely right. But having you pay isn't really much of a penalty, is it? You get way more uncomfortable when I buy you stuff. Besides, I want to go to a restaurant where they don't serve wine."

"There are restaurants that _don't_ serve wine?" They heard their boss's bewildered voice as he entered the elevator. "Are we supposed to bring our own?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
"You _really_ think she's just his veterinarian?" Eunjung asked. "It's practically a lunch date! Lunch date!"

"That's what you focus on?" Chinhae replied. "Did you hear what she was calling him? _Weirdo_. I'm putting my money on her being an old friend but nothing more."

Eunjung clicked her tongue. "You're so blind, Chinhae! This is just like _When Harriet met Sal_! What do you think, Choonhee?"

The older woman smiled. "Well, at this rate I'm not so certain she's a client. She does talk to him rather familiarly…" Eunjung smirked at Chinhae victoriously but Choonhee wagged her finger to stop the mini-victory party. "But she talks to everyone like that. It's part of her charm, I think."

"And Mr. Han is definitely charmed. I mean have you ever heard him apologize to someone like that?! And he was looking forward to seeing her all day." Jaehee and Choonhee shared exasperated glances.

"It could still be one of his stupid cat projects," Chinhae grumbled. "Why else would he be meeting up with a veterinarian?"

Eunjung scowled but Chinhae did have a point. It was the only solution that made sense to Jaehee. Mr. Han was only unreasonable when it came to his cat or cats in general.

Eunjung shook her head as she crossed her arms in stubbornness. "I still think they're a couple. I mean think about it! Mr. Han obviously wouldn't want the media to learn about his secret girlfriend."

"Be reasonable, Eunjung," Chinhae said tiredly. "Do you really think that woman is Mr. Han's type? Up until thirty minutes ago, we were convinced that he exclusively liked men! There's no way a man like Mr. Han would like such a…common woman like her."

"She's not what I was expecting but…maybe she's his type?" Eunjung looked at Choonhee and Jaehee for encouragement. The secretary merely shrugged in response. "Assistant Kang, what do you think?"

"I think…it's Eunjung's turn to go to the convenience store and get _dosirak_ for everyone. And make sure to pick up some coffee filters while you're at it; we're out." Jaehee pushed up her glasses as she gave the two gossips a significant look. "Everyone else should head back to work."

Eunjung gave her a dejected look before nodding and Chinhae shuffled back to his desk in shame. Choonhee gave her a pointed glance and, when the two were out of earshot, asked: "Do you want me to double your share in the pot?"

"Triple."

Gambling wasn't necessarily a sin but passing on an easy bet sure felt like one to Jaehee.

 

 

 

 


	8. VIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You go on a date and your soulmate discovers the concept of jealousy. Spoilers: he can't handle it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wanted to put out one last update before i go back to hell. also if anyone has any tips on writing V it'd be much appreciated.
> 
> please keep the comments coming! Love hearing your thoughts!!

You sighed to yourself. Your room looked like a disaster zone as you rampaged through your closet. What the fuck were you supposed to wear to a first date? Fuck if you knew. You had never been on one before. Damnit, should you ask Soojin for advice? Was that weird?

You were burning holes in an old t-shirt with your eyes when your phone rang. You smiled a little when you noticed that it was your soulmate. Your feelings were still weird about him but you had managed to not let it interfere with your friendship which was going pretty great, actually. If someone had told you a while back that you'd be friends with a straight up billionaire, you would have punched their shit out but it seemed that the truth really was stranger than fiction.

"Well, I'm a little busy getting ready right now your highness. Just so you know you're on speaker."

"Oh? Should I call back another time?"

"It's fine. I can multitask; being alone with my thoughts right now might actually drive me crazy." Maybe talking to Jumin would get your mind off of things. You were insanely nervous for your date and you hoped that everything would go well. Now if you could just pick something to wear…

"What are you getting ready for?"

"I'm going out tonight to this café that Soojin recommended."

"Drinking coffee this late at night is bad for you."

You snorted. "Yeah and so is drinking four espresso shots at one time, Mr. Hypocrite. Besides, I was probably going to just get hot chocolate or something." You could still remember the time that Jumin casually told you that on days leading up to project deadlines, he had the tendency to drink highly concentrated caffeinated beverages. It was insane considering that Jumin got so little sleep already.

"You should dress warmly, the weather forecast predicts rain tonight." You wondered idly if Jumin Han watched the weather report like normal people or if he got it specifically delivered to him. You internally cackled at the idea of a butler reading off the wind speed and temperature for Jumin.

"Ugh, that's almost as bad as when it snows," you groaned. Damn it, what was a good outfit that was also warm?

"Do you not like the snow?"

"I don't like the cold. I like it better when it's hot. Rather sweat my ass off than freeze it. How was work today?" You asked, eager to be distracted.

"Fine. Slightly tedious. I found a typo in one of the reports…I can't believe a report that required my signature would be so sloppy." His voice was full of disbelief that one of his employees had the audacity to give him something with a mistake. Jumin…could definitely be intense at times. He had confided in you that he actually had made quite a few employees cry accidentally. You had laughed yourself sick even though you should have felt bad. While you didn't doubt that Jumin could be cold, the fact that he was likely internally freaking out as his employees sobbed tickled you pink.

"I doubt one mistake would make an entire report _sloppy_. But it's better that you caught it right?" You replied -- you didn't want Jumin to end up firing someone for making _one_ mistake.

"Perhaps. The incompetence of some people is rather astonishing." This was the closest that Jumin ever got to shit-talking.

"Takes all kinds of people to make a world, your highness. No one's perfect."

"Except Elizabeth." You _really_ should have expected that answer…

You sighed. "Right. Except Liz." Every time you thought about thinking of Jumin that way, you forced yourself to remember that he _loved_ Elizabeth. Even if he did feel something for you, it was likely overshadowed for what he felt for his damned cat.

"When do you have to meet your friend at the café?"

"Oh, I'm not meeting her."

"Are you going alone?"

"Nope, your highness. This commoner has a _date_." You couldn't help the small smile on your face as you mentioned that. _You_ had a date. Imagine that.

"Date?" He echoed.

"Yeah, I know. _Shocking_ , right? Soojin set me up with one of her friends. I think he's a musician or something?" You gushed. Soojin had been pretty smug when she had set everything up but she insisted that you formed your own opinion of your date. You were actually pretty excited about it, though definitely nervous.

"You're going out with this man and you don't even know his profession?" Jumin's voice had dropped several degrees that it was enough to give _you_ chills.

You blinked, not expecting that hostility. "I mean I'm sure it'll come up tonight when we meet? It's not that big of a deal."

"What's his name?" Though it was stated as a question, you got the feeling that it wasn't a request.

"Seongwoo."

"You don't know his full name?" What the fuck was up with the hostility? You expected him to be indifferent at the very least if he wasn't going to be supportive.

"I think it's Park? Why does it matter?" You asked irritably.

"The fact that you haven't run a full background check on this man concerns me," Jumin stated as though it was perfectly reasonable to run a background check on someone you were just meeting for coffee.

"Do you run a background check on everyone you meet? _Wait_ , don't answer that." You really didn't want to know at this point. Especially when you were pretty certain that Jumin used some rather shady means to get a hold of those background checks.

"What do you know about his intentions? His qualifications?"

"…Uh, that he intends to date me?" You responded with confusion. "I mean it's pretty casual? Soojin thought we might hit it off so we're meeting up to see if that's true. It's a coffee date, your highness, not a job interview."

"This sounds suspicious to me. I'm sending two of my bodyguards to escort you."

"Jumin Han, you better be fucking joking," you hissed.

"I never joke when it comes to the safety of one my friends." His voice was firm and while the sentiment was sweet, you were definitely freaking out. He…wouldn't  _actually_ send them, would he? Oh, who were you kidding? He'd _totally_ do that.

"I'm not letting your bodyguards crash my date! I know I'm inexperienced but even I know that's a mood-killer."

"What kind of mood are you trying to create if you're just meeting?" Jumin asked sharply.

"A comfortable one?" You responded. "Which will be _impossible_ with two large men intimidating my date."

"They won't interfere. They're professionals."

"The whole point of a date is so that you can be _alone_ with someone." It was as if you were explaining this to a small child.

"By that logic, we've gone on multiple dates so far."

You were stunned into silence for a few moments. The most prominent emotion you were feeling was confusion. What was Jumin trying to accomplish with this? "But we're just friends, Jumin; we're not dating."

… _Right?_   You added mentally.

"Of course." _Of course, what?_   You shouted internally. What was Jumin trying to tell you? Why did you bringing up your friendship make his tone go all weird?

Thinking about this was just making your nervousness worse; you did not want to be dragged into this when you had to get ready for your date. "I have to go. Phil's going to spit up on my boots again."

So you hung up, wondering what the fuck had gotten into your soulmate _now_.

* * *

 

"She really gets under your skin, doesn't she?" Jihyun asked as Jumin frowned. His friend was laughing at him. "How was it that you described your ideal woman? Polite and punctual?"

"She can be punctual," Jumin asserted, though his friend's widening grin was becoming… _irksome_. Polite was a completely different story. You swore worse than a sailor at times and it was completely unladylike and yet Jumin found himself the opposite of repulsed.

"I've always found Soulmarks to be wondrous things. There was a collection I managed to see while I was in America titled _I Found You_ , the artist photographed soulmates and their accompanying marks. It was beautiful," Jihyun commented wistfully. "It's a gift, Jumin."

"It has been…interesting," Jumin allowed. "We're friends now."

"But you want more."

His oldest friend truly knew him all too well. Jumin drank more of the wine he had brought out for Jihyun's return -- a classic vintage that had been bottled at his own vineyard. He had called V not long after his conversation with you.

"You should open up, Jumin. If you tell her things are different -- that you _feel_ differently then perhaps…" V advised.

"It's platonic. Elizabeth is the only woman I need."

"Is it Rika?" Jihyun asked gently. "Don't let her taint this new bond."

Jumin's eyes widened. They hadn't spoken of Rika since the disastrous end of her relationship with V. He had been worried that the woman would have ended their friendship but rather it had strengthened it.

"It's not just Rika." Jumin sighed. "It's her and every one of father's girlfriends, his ex-wives, Step-Mother…"

"But she's different, isn't she? You told me that."

"She doesn't ask me for anything. But when she does, it's the most inane things…The other day she asked me if purple was my favorite color since it's the color of royalty and I wear it so often. I hadn't even realized that it was until she asked." Jumin looked out his floor-to-ceiling windows which overlooked the view that had caused Jihyun to urge him to buy this particular penthouse. The lights of the city glittered below, small and bright. "It's painful, V. Hearing her talk so excited about another man…"

"It's pretty simple, Jumin. Just tell her and move forward together from there. Pining in secret will only make it harder on both of you."

"I might be falling for her but it's obvious that she doesn't feel the same way."

V pushed back the fringe of his hair. "And how do you know that, Jumin? From what you've told me, she never once stated whether she preferred a platonic relationship."

"I just know, V. Her feelings…they aren't as strong as mine."

"I don't think anyone's feelings are as strong as yours. You've always felt deeply about things ever since we were kids. But you can't just make this decision without her, Jumin. A relationship has two people, remember that."

"Relationship advice? From you?"

"I know, I know. But things are better now Jumin; _I'm_ better. I've gained perspective on my relationship with Rika. Are you scared? Is that why you're so reluctant?"

"I don't want to make our friendship uncomfortable. I don't want to lose her, V. _I can't_. She's become so important to my life in such a short time."

"So you'll just hold yourself back forever? Watch as she falls in love with another man? Marries another man?"

"You think I haven't already thought about that?" Jumin asked irritably. "It's hard enough to watch and support her."

"I never took you as a man who didn't try." That was cutting. Jumin was never one to be shy about his desires, though his lifestyle meant that it was rare for him to truly _want_ something and not be able to get it immediately. "You would go that far to separate yourself from your father?"

"This isn't about my father's… _tastes_. That has nothing to do with this."

"So your father's failed relationships have nothing to do with why you refuse to pursue one with her. _Okay_ ," V stated dryly.

 _Damnit, V_. Jumin internally cursed before finishing what was left in his wineglass. He needed more wine.

* * *

 

"What the fuck?" You muttered under the breath as your phone went off. Blindly, you fumbled for it on your nightstand and picked it up without even checking the caller ID. "Who the _fuck_ \--"

"Ah," You'd recognize that voice anywhere, even half-asleep and pissed as hell. "This is Jumin Han calling about tomorrow's breakfast order. I want something soft and easily digestible that won't upset my stomach."

"Jumin?" Your anger left you as puzzlement replaced it. "It's like two in the morning. Why are you giving me your breakfast order?"

"Is this not my chef?" He asked, sounding as confused as you did. "Oh wait, it's you. Strange. I thought I called the chef but I must have pressed the wrong number."

"Do you usually call your chef this early in the morning? The sun's not even fucking up yet."

"I can't believe I made such a mistake. I must have drank too much wine with V earlier." There was something different about his voice when he was like this, you noticed. It sounded huskier and a little sleepier.

"Are you drunk?" Was Jumin Han really drunk calling you at two in the morning? Or were you still sleeping and this was just an absurd dream?

"I may have imbibed more than what was strictly necessary though V is definitely worse off than me. He was stumbling when his driver picked him up."

"V's your photographer friend right? So you two got together and got wine drunk? That's cute."

"Cute." He stated the word slowly with a slight slur that made you laugh. "You do that a lot."

"What? Laugh? You're actually fuckin' hilarious, your highness."

"How odd. Most people state otherwise." Yeah, you could definitely imagine that especially without how expressionless Jumin tended to be.

"Most people are boring. I've never met someone like you before." And that was the honest truth.

"Well, I _am_ extraordinary." He said it so matter-of-factly that you snorted. Jumin's confidence was an amazing source of amusement since he rarely seemed to second-guess anything he did. "How was your date?"

You paused in surprise before replying, "Boring. He wasn't funny like you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, all he wanted to do was talk about his mixtape that jackass," you grumbled before yawning. "Plus he doesn't like cats so that's like an immediate deal-breaker. Whoever I date has to be willing to co-parent Phil."

"He was very obviously beneath you. You deserve only the best."

"Are you still drunk, you weirdo?" Especially when he was saying strange things that made your heart beat faster.

"V always makes me out to be a drunk and now so are you. While I take great pleasure in enjoying wine, I know my limits," Jumin replied petulantly.

"You're bratty when you're drunk, your highness. It's adorable."

"Your thought process is very strange. I want to take you out for a drink to see what you're like when inebriated so I can draw my own conclusions."

"Well…I definitely don't use words like _inebriated_ ," you said, neatly sidestepping the fact that Jumin had used the words _take you out_. He didn't mean it in that sense…right? Would you want him to use in that sense? _Fuck_ , it was too early for you to try to figure this out. "We should go sometime. I bet I could drink your rich ass under the table...promise."

"That would be very interesting to see. You're a very competitive person. I have no doubt that you would try your very best to drink until you collapsed." You hummed as your eyes began to close. Listening to his voice like this was making you sleepy again. "Ah, it's much later than I expected. I should let you sleep."

"Good…night…" Your eyes closed as your breathing evened out.

Jumin called your name softly but the only thing he could hear was your soft, steady breathing. You had fallen asleep with the phone still on.

"Goodnight my soulmate." He murmured low and carefully, "Sleep well and may your dreams be filled with my care for you."

* * *

 

"There's a number calling you but why is the contact name Cat Weirdo with a cat emoji and a crown emoji?"

"Mind your damn business," you quipped as you shoulder checked your brother. The two of you were at your favorite noodle place for your semi-regular sibling dinner. Minhwan was completely broke and wasn't above asking you for handouts. Not that you really minded since the only thing he really ever asked you for was food -- probably because you had the sneaking suspicion that he spent all his money on clothes and his hair.

"No way!" Minhwan looked shocked as he ran a hand through his dark blue hair (obviously dyed). "It's a booty call, isn't it?"

"Fuck off, Minnie," you grumbled. He always full of dumb ideas.

"I can't believe this! I've known you my entire life and you don't even tell me that you're getting laid on the regular now? I told you when I lost my virginity!"

"Which I still fucking can't believe you did!" You shouted back. "Why the _fuck_ did you tell me that?"

"I thought you'd congratulate me!" Minhwan defended himself. "I mean it was Donghyun and Subin at the _same_ time."

"Why the hell would I be proud that my little brother got his dick wet? You didn't even tell me when you got into SKY Law School! _Mom_ was the one who told me."

Your phone continued to vibrate obnoxiously on the table. "Damn, they must really like you," Minhwan remarked. "I usually just move down the contact list at this point. Are you sure you aren't going to pick it up? I can make myself scarce tonight _if you know what I mean_."

"It's not like that," you huffed. "Besides, you're dragging me out tonight, remember?"

"You sure?" His eyebrows rose. "Because if it was _me_ …"

" _Minnie_."

"What?" He shrugged. "I'm just being honest. Family's forever but when a hottie calls, you answer."

"Let's stop talking about my nonexistent sex-life, how about it?" You deadpanned.

Minhwan sniffed. " _Nonexistent_ she says. Soojin told me you went on a date the other day. I'd say that shit's alive and kicking."

You waved your hand, dismissing his statement. "It was a shit date and nothing happened. Dude couldn't stop talking about his music that it got nauseating."

" _It Got Nauseating_ , is that the title of your sex tape?"

You ended up having to pay for the napkin dispenser you threw at his face but it was damn worth it.

* * *

 

You woke up sticky and hungover with breath rancid enough to kill a man. It was rather obvious that you had passed out on your bed after returning home from clubbing last night with your brother. This was the norm whenever he came to visit since he always whined about 'letting off steam' since his schoolwork was so demanding. The real truth was that your brother was a crazy party animal -- a fact that you were well aware since you've helped him sneak out during his high school days.

You groaned as you realized that you were still wearing the same clothes as last night (including the heels). A shower was definitely in order if you wanted to feel human again. You stumbled out your bedroom to see Minhwan already awake and making coffee. He was dressed in a simple tank top and boxers, smiling as he handed you a cup looking all for the world as though he could run a marathon and then model for a photo shoot. Even his hair looked purposely mussed even though you knew he had just crashed on your sofa. Your annoyance was fierce because he managed to be one of those magical people who never seemed to get hungover no matter how much he drank the night before.

"You alright, sis?" He laughed at your grumpy expression.

"If something happens to you, I want your liver," You deadpanned, your eyes barely open. "I'm taking a shower first."

Your phone chimed and you swore when you saw the calendar notification. You had completely forgotten that you had promised to watch over Elizabeth this weekend. On a side note, you were thankful that Minhwan managed to charge your phone last night. At least your brother was good for something.

"Something wrong?" Your brother asked over his mug of coffee.

You waited until you drank half the cup before answering. "A friend of mine is going to drop off their cat for the weekend since they'll be out of town."

It wasn't that big of a deal, Jumin would probably come by after you were done showering. You didn't expect any problems with Elizabeth. Minhwan was decent enough with animals even though he was secretly terrified of birds due a very harrowing encounter with a seagull when you were both children. You were never letting him live that moment down but you weren't cruel enough to force him to get over his fear. You had hoped that he would grow out of it because the idea of a grown ass man being scared of birds was a little too ridiculous.

"Ah cool! Is it Phil's girlfriend?" Minhwan had tried to play with Phil during his stay with mixed results. Phil, at least, didn't hiss at him but he tended to ignore your brother and sometimes outright avoided him. This particular morning, Phil chose to walk around your brother in favor of rubbing against your leg. Phil was pretty damn needy sometimes but you had to withhold your inner squealing because you had to look tough in front of Minhwan. Still, you couldn't ask for a more loyal cat.

You rolled your eyes at your brother before trudging to your only bathroom. You hoped that he wouldn't say that in front of Jumin because you were pretty certain your soulmate would pitch a fit at the thought of Elizabeth loving another man other than him…not that Phil was a man.

While the chances of Minhwan saying something embarrassing was pretty high, it shouldn't be too bad. Jumin was going to meet him _eventually_ and they'd learn to get along since you had no intention of letting go of either of them. It wasn't really your problem; it was time for you become semi-human now.

* * *

 

Jumin knocked on your door, while he had been worried when you didn't pick up his call last night, you had managed to text him afterwards to confirm that you were still watching Elizabeth. Truthfully, he was also rather eager to see you. His talk with V and your late-night call with him, he felt encouraged. He would ask you now when you were free to have a drink with him -- he was already picking out what wine he thought you would like -- and perhaps even dinner. He should call his chef now to make plans…

Jumin froze when he saw who greeted him at the front door. It was a man, slightly shorter than him and severely underdressed judging by his boxers and lack of shirt.

The man smiled. "That's Liz right?" He stooped a little to look into the cat-carrier causing his dark blue hair to fall into his eyes as he continued to grin. "Wow, she's so pretty."

"Where is Mina?" Jumin asked tersely. While the stranger was correct that Elizabeth was beautiful, that fact that he had obviously stayed the night in your apartment in such a state of undress set Jumin on edge. Who was this man? What was he doing in your apartment?

"Oh! She's in the shower right now. Do you want me to go get her?" The man rubbed the back of his head absentmindedly. Jumin tracked the motion and his attention caught sight of the red marks on the man's neck, his fists clenching involuntarily. His face was still an impression of stone but his chest felt painfully tight.

Jumin did not want to know how this man planned on getting you out of the shower. "That is unnecessary. I will be late for my flight. Inform Mina I will call her when my plane lands."

The man blinked balefully, obviously ill-at-ease with Jumin's cold frankness. "Uh, okay. I'll let her know that you stopped by, dude."

Jumin nodded curtly as he adjusted his cufflinks.

_So this was the emotion known as jealousy?_

He tightened the knot of his tie.

Jumin didn't care for it. _At all_.

 


	9. IX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your soulmate finally cashes in that favor and it's totally not what you were expecting.

 

You yawned as you entered the living room, happy to see Phil and Elizabeth lazing around on the floor. At least Minhwan had managed to open the door since that shower had gone _way_ longer than expected. You felt like you deserved it considering you weren't quite as young as you had been in your college days. Clubbing was something you only did with your brother or the occasional birthday. You glanced at your brother and was surprised to see him look slightly pale as he flipped through channels on your T.V.

"So since when have you been friends with a mob boss?" Minhwan asked casually.

You blinked. "What?"

 _Wait_ , did your brother think Jumin was a mob boss? You laughed since that was so similar to what you had thought when he had come to check your soulmark ages ago.

"He was one scary dude. Pretty much glared at me the entire time." Minhwan shivered.

"He's pretty protective over Liz but he's harmless." You smirked at the idea of someone thinking of Jumin as _scary_. Jumin was too weird to be effectively intimidating or maybe that was because you knew his greatest weakness. He had way too many pictures of Elizabeth on his phone to even be semi-threatening. Not to mention that you had been privy to him gushing about her on countless occasions. You just couldn't imagine Jumin as threatening when he was so soft for his cat.

Minhwan shook his head emphatically. "He was so cold and mean. I don't get how Liz puts up with him."

You plopped onto the couch next to him and noticed that he still smelled of alcohol. "Go take a shower, dummy." Now that you were more awake, you realized Minhwan's neck was littered with hickeys which were something you didn't want to see before noon or _anytime_ actually. "And put a shirt on, slut. Not all of us want to see that you scored at the club last night."

Minhwan smirked as he puffed up his chest. "Get used to it, sis. You're related to a 10."

"Yeah, because that's how many IQ points you have." You poked him harshly in the ribs. "Go shower while I order takeout."

Minhwan gave you the one-finger salute as he carefully stepped around the pile of cats. You shook your head laughing, life with Minhwan was always interesting and you missed him on occasion even if he was exhausting.

* * *

 

 _Maybe he's just really busy_? You thought to yourself as Jumin continued to ignore your messages. That asshole was leaving you on read because you highly doubted he'd really ignore pictures of Elizabeth. Whatever, you weren't going to let it bother you because Minhwan was here and you were going to enjoy that while it lasted. He was going to be crazy busy with law school soon and you likely wouldn’t see him much until he graduated three years later. At least he was going to the law school at SKY University so he'd be nearby at least.

"So," Minhwan said as he sipped his soda. You both had been watching shitty movies and hadn't moved from the couch in hours. "That cold guy…he's just a friend?"

"Yup," you answered glibly. It was the complete truth even if he was your soulmate.

"How'd you meet a guy like that anyway? I thought all your friends were broke?" Minhwan asked you, clearly suspicious.

"From the clinic. Most of the clients are super rich." True.

"Wow so you're really not going to talk about this guy, are you?" Your brother eyed you and you ignored the look on his face. Minhwan was always reading into any of your relationships with people mostly because you had never expressed romantic interest in anyone before. Part of this was because Minhwan was naturally nosy -- he wanted to know everyone's business including yours.

You shrugged. "What's there to talk about? We're friends and I watch his cat sometimes." Still true.

"Cool, cool." Minhwan nodded. "Is he single? Or available for a one-night stand?"

You very nearly spat out your water but after the years of experience of living with Minhwan, you were very careful about drinking while he spoke. He had a tendency to say outrageous things during the most inappropriate times. "Uh…no. Or uh, I don't know?"

Technically true? He was in a _very_ serious relationship with his cat. You weren't sure if that included hookups but Jumin had very obviously stated that he was romantically _unavailable_. You had never stopped to wonder if that meant he was available sexually because you had been too blindsided by the situation. Was Jumin involved with another person? You doubted it but it was possible; the thought made you feel uneasy. You were starting to come to terms that you did actually like him that way but were now biding your time until those feelings went away. You should probably refocus your efforts on finding someone else as soon as fucking possible. You really should fill out that dating app profile that you had been putting off.

"What's with the 'uh'?" Minhwan raised an eyebrow, missing your internal debate. "Why are you being so weird about him?"

"Because I'm grossed out that my younger brother wants to hook up with one of my friends? Besides, didn't he like scare you or something? You thought he was a _mob boss_ , Minnie." You deadpanned. This wasn't necessarily the first time Minhwan had tried hitting on one of your friends. You disliked it whenever Minhwan tried to pull this mostly because you knew that the relationship would end quickly and badly because that was just Minhwan's style. Minhwan never really dated for long -- it was always onto the next new fling with him.

"Well can you _blame_ me? He's hot. Like older man hot. _And_ he's obviously rich. I was probably intimidated by the authority, you know, but it was also kinda attractive. He has that sugar daddy potential."

" _Disgusting_. Please stop talking." You threw a few kernels of popcorn at him to emphasize your point. "Besides, he's not old…he's like my age. Don't you have anything better to do than hit on my friends?"

"Don't hate the player, sis, hate the game."

"Ugh, and you're like mentally ten years old. How the _fuck_ did you get into law school?" Not that you weren't proud of him. Minhwan was smart and could be serious when he wanted to be…you just had yet to see it.

Minhwan tried to hit you with a pillow but you dodged easily. "Whatever. Are you going to help your brother out or…?"

"It's a no from me, dawg." You shook your head. You'd let Minhwan pursue Jumin over your dead fucking body. If Minhwan ever found out that Jumin rejected you for his cat and that you _babysat_ said cat on a regular basis, holy fuck you were _never_ living that shit down.

"Ugh, fine. He looks like the type that has to be wooed slowly anyway and I don't have time for that." Minhwan sniffed.

"Don't you get tired jumping from person to person?" You asked absentmindedly. He had that kind of attitude towards dating since the beginning of his undergrad and it never waned during the last four years. Minhwan burned through relationships quicker than a smoker with a pack of cigarettes. "I thought you'd put greater effort into looking for your soulmate by now."

Minhwan shook his head. "What can I say, sis? I can't deprive the world of _this_." Minhwan gestured to his body. "Besides, soulmates are just something that's been blown out of proportion by society; why should I let a single person who I've never met dictate my life? I thought you'd feel the same way since yours is probably a douche."

After meeting Jumin, you weren't sure if you could comfortably call him a _terrible_ person. He had been upfront about his feelings and he was an okay friend…maybe even level 4 quality if he had it in him. Things between the two of you had smoothed out recently and you enjoyed the easy flow of conversation. Both of you were incredibly busy due to your demanding jobs but it was nice to talk during your downtime. Jumin made you laugh even if most of the time it was unintentional.

This newfound silence from him was starting to trouble you. Jumin always managed to respond to you even if it took him some time but it had never taken him hours. This behavior was completely out of character from the man you had been texting for a few months now. You looked over your previous texts with a sigh. Was it possible that Jumin had picked up on your feelings and was trying to be subtle and not hurt your feelings outright? The possibility hurt but you quickly dismissed it since Jumin had the subtlety of a skyscraper. He was probably just busy…

"What about you?" Minhwan suddenly asked.

You jerked your head in Minhwan's direction, locking your phone instinctually. "What?"

"Your soulmate. Are you sure you still want to meet them?" He pressed.

Up until now you had successfully avoided outright lying to Minhwan. You had never lied to your brother and you felt extremely uncomfortable about starting now. Lying went against everything you believed in and Minhwan was supposed to be the one person you trusted completely. But you and Jumin had agreed to keep this a secret between yourselves. Minhwan wasn’t a blabbermouth but you had no idea how he'd react if he found out that your soulmate had been named Korea's Most Eligible Bachelor four years running.

You took a deep sip of water as you steeled your nerves and made your decision. "I've met them already."

Minhwan dropped his soda, spilling it all over your couch. _Fuck_ , you were so going to make him clean that shit up. " _What the actual fuck? You met that asshole already_?!"

You nodded while scowling. "Go to the kitchen and grab some rags. This shit'll stain if we don't hurry." Thanks to Minhwan your couch will probably be permanently sticky now. _Ugh_.

"Fuck _that_ shit. Tell me about it! Did you beat _them_ up? Did you beat _her_ up?"

"It was fine. Not romantic at all and we agreed to keep it that way." You stood up to gather cleaning supplies, taking care not to trip over a cat. "Clean it up now, Minnie or I swear to fucking  _god_ …"

Minhwan hauled ass to the kitchen since you only used that voice when you were seconds away from beating his ass.

"You seem to be taking it surprisingly well," Minhwan noted after most of the spill was handled. You were going to need to go over the couch with some fabric spray to keep it from smelling but you managed to get most of it out.

"Well, yeah, I guess. I spent my whole life preparing for it, you know? I was worried that my soulmate was some cheating fuckwad or something but it wasn't like that. It's platonic." Or at least, you were pretty sure that it was platonic. You had both _agreed_ to keep it platonic.

Minhwan laughed. "I guess that gives Mom the all-clear to sign you up to those dating sites then."

"Fuck off," you growled. "Is she still on that?"

Your mother had always thought it was strange that you never expressed any interest in anyone. At first, she had thought it was because you were waiting for your soulmate -- something that she _fiercely_ advocated against because she firmly against you being a homewrecker -- but later she worried that you would die alone if she didn't intervene. You had endured countless lunches with her badgering you about this. You knew her heart was in the right place was _damn_ was it annoying. That particular conversation tapered off once you moved away from home and settled down in Korea while your parents managed their restaurant overseas. But it didn't help that she always brought it up every time you talked on the phone with her.

"As far as she's concerned, you're her only chance at grandkids within the next decade at least." Minhwan smirked from the side of his mouth. That little shit. Mom had never gone as far as to set Minhwan up since she only saw _you_ as the hopeless one.

You snorted. "With your track record, I think you have a much better chance of getting pregnant than I do."

"That's what _I_ said." Minhwan smiled honestly before seriously adding, "I am pretty glad that it wasn't as bad as we thought."

"Sometimes thinking the worst leaves you pleasantly surprised when it happens," you responded sagely.

"Do you still talk to them?" You wished he would stop with the questions but you knew he couldn't help but to be curious.

Your mind drifted to the increasingly one-sided texting conversation that was happening with Jumin. "Sometimes."

"What do you talk about?" Minhwan asked, genuinely fascinated.

"Dramas."

"Wow, guess it really was a platonic bond after all?" Minhwan eyebrows rose. "That's pretty cool."

You shrugged, trying to downplay it. Your feelings regarding Jumin were… _weird_. You were growing annoyed at him for ignoring you, however, a part of you was also worried that there was something wrong…

"So how'd Elizabeth take it?" Minhwan finally asked _the_ question. Elizabeth was someone the both of you wondered about from the moment you finally explained to Minhwan what your soulmark meant. Neither of you had ever guessed that Elizabeth would be a cat.

"Pretty well." Especially considering the fact that she was sunbathing on your dining table right now.

This was going to bite you in the ass later when you had to come fully clean but you were being as honest as possible. Hopefully, Minhwan would forgive you once you finally figured out what the hell was actually happening between you and Jumin. If there was anything happening.

* * *

 

You really hoped that Jumin would be back to normal when he came to pick up Elizabeth. As much as you loved your brother, he exhausted you. At the moment he was out with some friends and probably wouldn’t be back until much later (that is _if_ he came back that night… you were praying that you wouldn't be woken up by a drunken phone call later on since you had work the next morning).

Your body sprung to action when you heard the door, and you were slightly surprised at how excited you were to see him. The two of you made a habit of watching _My Only Secret_ when he came back on his weekend business trips. It didn't always happen but it was nice to talk to someone about your favorite show even if it was insanely ridiculous that it was someone like Jumin Han.

You smiled as you opened the door, immediately noticing how…stone-faced he looked. It didn’t initially bother you but you wondered if something had gone wrong on his trip. Your mood dimmed a little almost reflexively. When you were in a bad mood, you knew you had the tendency of taking it out on other people and something told you that Jumin was the same way. Your worries were confirmed when he didn't even greet you and instead immediately asked for Elizabeth. _Yup_ , something had definitely pissed him off then. You inwardly sighed, he probably wasn't going to watch _My Only Secret_ with you then.

You watched him carefully, contemplating whether a confrontation would really be a good option. _Fuck it_ , you were still annoyed that he had the nerve to ignore you practically the _entire_ weekend. Plus he was being rude and being in a bad mood didn't excuse that. You leaned against the open door, blocking him from coming inside your apartment.

"Well look what the cat dragged in. Are phones beneath you now, your highness? I waited for your call _all_ day, jerkwad. I was this close to calling your secretary because I thought your plane had crashed or something crazy. I had to find out from a stupid tabloid website that you had gotten there safely." Shit, that came out _a lot_ more sentimental than you were expecting. But you had been worried about him…deep down under the all the irritation.

"I'm afraid that I didn't have time for such a pointless conversation -- work demanded my full attention. Nor do I possess the time to chit-chat right now, where's Elizabeth?"

 _Ouch_ , that actually hurt. Were you now seeing Jumin Han the Ice Prince as the media liked to call him? You weren't impressed nor were you intimidated in the slightest. You were mostly… _concerned_. Jumin was acting strangely. Sure he could say some callous things sometimes but you would have never gone so far as to call him _cold_. Sure you and Jumin got some good jabs in at one another but it always in good fun…this felt different. This was harsh and bitter.

"I'm sure you can spare a minute. Are you going to tell me what the hell has got you so worked up or am I going to have to drag it out you? You've ignored my texts and my calls all weekend and that's not like you at all."

His face remained unmoved and it was pissing you off. Your hand clenched as you contemplated tugging him down by his tie to bring him to eye-level so you could talk sense into the royal egghead. He hadn't told you to drop the subject just yet so you were going to push and push until something gave out.

"You know that bullshit cold attitude probably would have worked with someone else but I can tell that you're lying out of your ass." Jumin hadn't stopped touching his cufflinks the entire time he had been on your doorstep. You had acquired a keen eye for these things at least when it came to Jumin because he was so stone-faced all the time. You had learned to look for other visual clues as to how he was feeling and right now all the signs were pointing to one thing -- there was _definitely_ something wrong. While Jumin was pissing you off with his attitude, you were never one to let _any_ of your friends suffer in silence. Maybe it wasn't the best quality to have but your mother's nosiness had rubbed off on you somewhat even if it manifested as this protective streak.

You tried again, slightly softer this time but voice still firm. "Jumin, just tell me what's wrong. Something's obviously bothering you."

"Do you always invite strange men around whenever you watch over Elizabeth?" His question was abrupt and it blindsided you.

 _Strange men_? Your forehead wrinkled as you were trying to wrap your head around Jumin's question.

"Did Minnie say something weird to you?" Oh god, did Minnie flirt with Jumin or something? That was the only thing you could possibly think of. But you were at a total loss as to what Minhwan could have said to Jumin to make him avoid you. Then again, Jumin was weirdly protective of Elizabeth…but you _never_ imagined him to be passive-aggressive like this. "My little brother has no filter so whatever he said to piss you off, I'm sorry."

"Little brother?" Jumin repeated the words slowly.

You crossed your arms as you stared him down. "Yeah, he's the guy who opened the door when you dropped off Elizabeth. Minnie's been staying with me for the weekend."

Jumin merely stared back for a long moment and, honestly, he was starting to seriously weird you out now -- even more so than usual. "I didn't know you had a younger brother," Jumin finally said.

"I'm surprised that didn't come up in the background check you ordered on me," you sniped. At this point, you were probably never going to let that go. You found it to be a massive invasion of your privacy and you were never going to let Jumin forget about your feelings on it.

"I never asked for explicit details; it was mostly to assess your financial situation to determine your intentions."

"My intentions?" You nearly shouted in surprise. " _You're_ the one who showed up at my doorstep." You suppressed a sigh because you were getting off-track now, your focus was supposed to be on what the hell had crawled up Jumin's ass and died.

"I realize now that it was a severe breach of your privacy and I apologize but history has taught me to be cautious about these things."

"So are you going to tell me why you're acting so weird or what?"

"My life has become exponentially more complicated due to…recent developments. But I assure you that the blame lies entirely on me. I'm still sorting through the tangles but I ask that you stay patient with me." Jumin's eyes seared straight into yours. "I have difficulty handling change but I'm working to better myself. To stay flexible but firm for the future that I desire."

Well, _that_ was vague as all hell. And what did he mean by tangles? Like _physical_ tangles? Or did he mean it metaphorically like a giant knot he was trying to straighten out?

"As your friend, it's kind of my prerogative to tell you when you act like a dick sometimes," you grumbled as you looked away since his gaze was getting a little intense. "Like I know you get overwhelmed and stuff and that's fine but being rude to me isn't cool. Ignoring my texts and shit isn't cool. I was really worried about you, you dork."

"Thank you and I promise that it won't happen again," Jumin murmured sincerely. "May I come in?"

You rolled your eyes dramatically but gave him a smirk to let him know that you were _mostly_ kidding. The tension between the two of you had dissipated and you were thankful for it. "Ugh, if you _insist_."

You closed the front door with a click as Jumin walked into your living room/dining room. While you were still treading lightly around him since you still had no idea what was going on…you felt that all in all the confrontation had been successful if a bit anti-climactic. You still had no idea what set him off but you doubted that Jumin would confide in you of all people.

"What on earth is this?" Jumin asked, clearly alarmed.

You shuffled into the room, wondering what he was talking about and sighed when you caught sight of the object of his ire. When Minhwan had learned that Phil and Elizabeth would be tragically separated when Jumin came back into town, he had printed out a photograph of Elizabeth and taped it to your living room wall, complete with a sticky note that captioned the picture as 'The love of Phil's life!!!!' so Phil could 'admire his lady love until they were reunited once more'.

"It's a joke, dude, calm down. Minnie ships them," you responded blandly, feeling a hollow victory since you had _totally_ called Jumin's reaction.

"Ships?" His brow furrowed. "I'm not familiar with the term."

"He's invested in their relationship, essentially."

"What a _preposterous_ notion. Elizabeth is --"

"Is with you, cat weirdo. I _know_ ," you interrupted with slight derision. God, Jumin really sounded like a broken record and it was starting to piss you off. At the beginning, you had thought it was funny and a little sweet but now it was _bugging_ you. Mostly because you were facing the harsh reality of being jealous of a fucking cat. "Minnie meant it as a joke, honestly. Don't get your panties in a twist over it."

"That's not what I was going to say," Jumin responded calmly.

You looked at him critically, not believing a single word. "Then what _were_ you going to say?"

"Elizabeth is a cat --"

" _Brilliant_ deduction there, your highness," you jibed, unable to help yourself.

"And a cat is just a cat. They are physically incapable of understanding the depth of human love, of human emotion; Elizabeth is limited to only understanding a small part of it."

That was a lot more philosophical than you were expecting -- especially from a guy who ignored his feelings on a regular basis.

"Well, that's why we have other humans. Animals are pretty great listeners but at the end of the day, it's difficult for them to _completely_ empathize. Social interaction is pretty much wired into us as a species because there's strength in community."

"I don't think an entire community is necessary…perhaps just a single person is enough." You got the feeling like Jumin was trying to tell you something but he was keeping his cards close to his chest. Jumin kept a lot to himself and a part of you did want to pry but you also didn't want to rock the boat. His friendship was becoming a mainstay in your life and you weren't going to drive him away just because you couldn't keep your nose out of his business but you figured that you'd _at least_ try.

"Jumin, are you trying to tell me something?" You asked bluntly. "Because it feels like you're trying to tell me something really important but you're skirting the issue."

He just paused and stared at you for a bit as though he was slowly coming to a decision. "Are you available this weekend?"

You blinked, not expecting that particular question. "I should be unless something comes up. Why?"

"I wish to claim my favor." That sounded… _ominous_ but you shook it off. This was Jumin, the guy in love with his cat. He probably wanted you to do a check up on Elizabeth or cat-proof his apartment or something equally ridiculous.

"Uh, okay," you responded. "Wait, is this favor for the _entire_ weekend?"

"Is that a problem?" Jumin raised an eyebrow.

"Depends. Are you going to tell me what this favor is?" It wasn't necessarily ' _no questions asked_ ' like you had promised but if he wanted you to do something for him for an entire weekend, you felt like you were within your rights to know a little more.

"I'm visiting my vineyard this weekend and I want you to accompany me."

It took you a few seconds to process what he said. "Vineyard? Like as in _wine_?"

"Yes, I invested in my own private vineyard after my friend introduced me to wine. It's one of three farms that I personally own."

That made a lot of sense considering all the wine he drank. What you had trouble wrapping your head around was what Jumin classified _as a favor_. He wanted you to come with him to his vineyard for a weekend as a favor. He wanted to you to take a mini-vacation with him… _as a favor_. You weren't against as it so much as you were wondering why.

"Yeah okay. I'm totally down to drink for an entire weekend." It'd be your first time being wine drunk, that was for sure. You tended to go for beer or soju over wine. Your liver would probably be pissed at you after it was over but you were still young and therefore healthy.

"Excellent." Jumin smiled, his pleasure readily apparent. "I will contact you for your measurements."

_Measurements? What the actual fuck?_

"Why would you need that?" You immediately asked, your suspicion growing.

Jumin smirked and you felt a shiver run up your spine. Maybe you were a little too quick to judge him as _completely_ harmless -- was he going to make you dress up like Longcat or something equally ridiculous? That felt a little bit more in line with a favor that you expected him to ask. "I believe the nature of this arrangement states that no questions are to be asked. I have been pretty lenient about it so far."

 _Damn it_. It really did come to bite you in the ass later. You sighed. Even if this was sounding pretty sketchy, you did trust Jumin enough not to do anything _too_ weird. "Fine, but do I need to bring anything?" What the hell were you supposed to wear at a vineyard anyway?

He shook his head. "Just be ready at seven in the morning along with Phil."

 _Seven in the morning_? That was just cruel and Jumin _knew_ that. You put on a brave face. Your mother didn't raise a whiny piss-baby. The only thing that kept you from being more annoyed was how pleased Jumin looked. His previous stony expression was completely replaced by genuine happiness. It looked… _good_ on him. You had a pretty good idea that the only thing that ever got Jumin to consistently smile was probably Elizabeth. So to know that you were able to make him this happy too was…

 _Damn it_ , you were right. You really should join a dating app at this rate.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **jumin** : ask her out for a drink 
> 
> **jumin to jumin** : cash in your favor so you have an excuse to take her out on an extravagant vacation to your vineyard for an entire weekend
> 
> a huge, huge thank you to everyone that commented on the last chapter. the response that this story has gotten has been incredible! love hearing all your thoughts. i kinda use this story as a distraction from my personal life so I'm glad to see other people enjoying it as much as i like writing it.


	10. X

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You give Areum some awkward advice. Insoo tells you to stop being an idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _geonbae_ \- "cheers"
> 
> tw for (brief) mention of stalking

The first thing that tipped you off that something was wrong was that Areum asked to have lunch with you. On its own, it wasn't too strange of a request besides the fact that she had actually made you a lunch and that she didn't extend this offer to either Insoo or Yoosung.

You were immediately tense. The last time Areum made you lunch, you nearly ended up beating the shit out of a guy who had been stalking her. You exchanged a glance with Insoo who immediately pulled Yoosung out of the staff break room, loudly proclaiming that he could really go for some _ddeokbokki_ right now. Yoosung weakly protested but ended up going, completely missing the subtle exchange that went on.

As you sat down across from her, you were inwardly thankful that Mr. Yeun had taken Dr. Yeun out to lunch today so you had the full hour off. Areum chattered nervously about the weather but you tried to stay patient; Areum would eventually spill it out but she would need time to gather her thoughts.

Just as you were about to open the bibimbap she made you, Areum blurted out, "Hyun won't have sex with me!"

Thank _god_ you hadn't started eating yet because you would have died by choking on that shit.

"I mean we've been dating for three months now but he's never, you _know_ , made a move! Not a single time! He won't even let me stay the night at his apartment! He says it's because he wants to set a good image for my mother but even _she_ thinks it's weird."

 _Shitshitshitshitshit_. Why the _fuck_ was Areum coming to _you_ for advice? Most of what you knew about sex was from Minhwan who bragged about all of his sexual exploits to whoever listened. You were _well_ aware of the mechanics considering you had a medical degree (…even if it only let you treat animals) and you were acquainted with your own…urges. But Areum should have gone to someone with, well, _practical experience_.

"Has he ever made you feel unattractive?" You finally asked after you mentally calmed down. If Zen had ever made Areum feel bad about herself you were going to rip his dick off. Okay, that was better…you could handle anger _a lot better_.

Areum blinked. "Well no. He's always calling me his princess and telling me how cute and pretty I am. And then I call him my knight in shining armor…" Her eyes literally sparkled and you internally puked. You could have gone your entire life without knowing that.

"So then, what's the problem?" You asked, attempting to refocus the conversation.

"He never calls me sexy…and sometimes I don't even think he sees me as a woman." Her voice got soft towards the end and you could _feel_ her self-consciousness and insecurities as she fidgeted with her cardigan. You were feeling pissed, mostly because you did not want to have this conversation and because Zen was supposed to be the one she went to with her doubts.

"Well…have you _told_ him?" You asked.

"Told him what?" Areum asked, confusion settling on her features. You sighed at her response, _fucking typical_.

"Areum, I don't know much about relationships but you're supposed to communicate about what you're feeling with the other person. Have you even had this conversation with Zen? Have you told him that you want to have sex with him?"

"Well…no," she admitted as she continued to fidget nervously in her seat. "But aren't…guys supposed to make the first move?"

You shrugged as you played with the chopsticks in your hands. "Who the fuck gives a shit? It's your business and Zen's honestly. If he's half as crazy about you as you are him then what's the problem?"

"Well, that's because Zen's amazing! He's so talented and he's so, so hot. Like he sends me selfies all the time and sometimes he's even shirtless but I especially like the ones after he works out…" Areum's eyes were beginning to glaze over and you wanted to bang your head against the table to get out of this conversation. "His abs are just…"

"Yeah, I _really_ don't need to know that. Just talk to him when you're alone and tell him what you want. And please use protection, I'm way too young to be an aunt."

Areum giggled. "But what do I say?"

You sighed, feeling your soul leave your body. _Why did this shit happen to you?_

"I want sex," you deadpanned.

Areum bit her lip. "Isn't that…a little, well, blunt?"

"Does it matter?" You asked. "It gets the job done and there's no way for him to misinterpret your feelings. If you're not comfortable enough to talk about sex with him then you're definitely not ready to have it."

Areum nodded. "You're right! I just have to strengthen my resolve." It seemed like the talk was just about done so you were ready to start to eating when Areum asked, "What do you find attractive in a person, Dr. Cho?"

"Collarbones," your mouth answered before your brain caught up. _Fuck_ , now you were thinking about Jumin's collarbones and _whatthefuck_.

"Collarbones?" Areum echoed. "That's pretty unique. I guess I'm just nervous about it because I've never done it…you know?"

"Sex is sex," you answered. "Don't overthink it so much."

"I guess so. It's just…I heard that sex with your soulmate is supposed to be different."

"Yeah I'm not sold on that," you replied. "I'm sure it's because of your feelings for the other person than any biological difference. And I've heard that the first time for women isn't usually that great…"

"What?!" Areum was shocked. "Why?"

"Well, it's usually because of a lack of lubrication so you might want to use lube. Just know that sex is never supposed to hurt so don't push yourself just for the sake of getting it over with or pleasing Zen, okay?"

Areum nodded solemnly. "I think I have a lot to consider but thanks, Dr. Cho for the advice. I'm really glad I could talk about this with you…my mother would have been too embarrassing."

"Please don't mention it," you replied. "No, really, please _don't_."

You sighed with relief as it was clear that the talk was officially over now. You texted Insoo, demanding that the two of you went drinking tonight. You did not want to dwell on the fact that you might be the reason Zen was getting laid.

* * *

 

"Calm down with the alcohol! That's soju, not brain bleach," Insoo exclaimed. You ignored him because this really was the closest to brain bleach as you could get. He eyed you carefully. "Was it really that bad?"

"She's fine. Everything's fine. It was just awkward as hell." That talk with Areum made you feel like you were giving the sex talk to your younger sister. Which, actually, was _exactly_ what that was. You had never to do something like that before since your parents had given you and Minhwan a very detailed and perhaps a little too graphic lecture on sex and the consequences. But considering how Minhwan had practically jumped into exploring his sexuality head-first, maybe it had only bothered you.

"I know the feeling. You weren't there when Areum was gushing about her first date with Zen and their first kiss…Cute as hell but damn uncomfortable."

"I'm happy for her," you spoke frankly, "but I can't help but feel envious. She makes it look so easy and simple."

Insoo nodded emphatically. "Couldn't happen to a better person but it does get nauseating after a while."

"Oh? Bitter words from the clown?" You turned to glance at Insoo, surprised at his confession. He was never one for melancholy or feeling down on himself.

"Misery does love company."

"You know." Your hand encircled the glass in front of you as you gathered your thoughts. "I've always admired how much of a romantic you are, Insoo." For as long as you had known Insoo, he had always been looking forward to the moment when he would finally meet his soulmate and you sincerely hoped the best for him. Whoever he had was going to be one lucky man.

Insoo choked, pounding his chest with his fist. "Don't say things like that so suddenly!"

You shrugged. "It's true. It takes a lot more strength to smile and keep going."

Insoo shook his head. "Takes more strength being honest. So how'd the date with Seongwoo go?" He asked trying to lighten the mood.

"Fuck off; don't act like Soojin hasn't already told you all the shitty details already. Can't believe she actually thought we'd hit it off seeing as he wouldn't even let me get a word in edgewise."

"I think a part of Soojin honestly didn't believe you'd actually show up to the date."

"Why would she think that?" You asked, slightly angry. What could you have possibly done for her to come to that conclusion? Why would you waste your time asking her to set you up if you weren't sincerely interested in dating?

"You've never been interested in dating for as long as I've known you. So to suddenly have you looking for someone is super weird. Soojin did _try_ though but it sucks that it was that bad. I've met the guy and I'm pretty sure he was just intimidated."

"Intimidated?" You echoed. "I can get it if he was nervous because dates are pretty nerve-wracking but _intimidated_?"

"Hate to break it to you, but you're pretty fucking intimidating Miss Grouch. Poor dude was probably just trying to impress you and ended up overcompensating."

"It's not like I try to be," you huffed and your grip on your drink tightened. "I mean I'm not purposely trying to terrorize everyone I meet."

"Maybe just tone down the _don't-fuck-with-me_ vibes. It's not really a bad thing -- you can get people to listen to you pretty easily. It's what Soojin describes as your aura," Insoo tried to explain.

"Aura? Is this like those crystal things she's obsessed with?" Soojin was such a hippy sometimes.

"Nope, it's different. But don't give up hope so easily. It's just one shitty date, you know?" He had a point, you knew, but it was still damn disappointing.

"I know." You sighed, the melancholy starting to creep back up. "I still feel shitty about it, though."

"Just go on another date, _problem solved_. Did you download Doki Doki? That's a pretty popular dating app right now."

"I think I still need more time to figure out what I want." It was going to take ages for you to work up the nerves to go on another date at this rate.

"Well, what _do_ you want?" Insoo asked, cutting straight to the point. You appreciated that he knew when not to beat around the bush when it came to stuff like this.

"…Someone to come home to," you finally responded taking the time to think about what you really wanted. "I think that's the best way to sum it up. There's obviously more but…that's _essentially_ what I'm looking for."

Insoo nodded and the fact that he understood what you had been trying to clumsily convey was pretty comforting. You honestly weren't looking for much; just someone you could share your life with, someone to be comfortable with, someone who wanted to take care of you and vice versa.

"Soojin has a poetry slam on Saturday. Wanna come and make fun of the pretentious losers trying to be deep? It'll cheer you up," Insoo suggested in a conspiring tone. It had become some sort of a contest between the two of you when attending any of Soojin's poetry events. Insoo and you had to figure out a way to somehow stay awake and roasting the poets was the best way.

"Can't. I'm hanging out with a friend this weekend." Just thinking about Jumin put you in a sour mood. You came here to drink to forget about your life and your earlier conversation with Areum just showed how you still weren't over the cat weirdo.

" _Friend_? What _friend_? Soojin and I are your only friends," Insoo mocked as he eyed you in curiosity.

"That's not true," you retorted. "Just because I'm a homebody doesn't mean I don't have friends who want to hang out with me."

"And Areum probably," Insoo continued as though he didn't hear you. "But she's friends with everyone and like you usually say… _that doesn't count_."

You rolled your eyes and huffed in irritation. "You're such an asshole."

"I try." Insoo puffed out his chest as though it was something to be proud of. "There's a Soulmate Singles mixer that I'm going to on Sunday. Do you want to come along? I know you've never been but if you're interested in dating now, you might want to check it out."

The thought of you going to a soulmark mixer was a little strange considering you already knew who your soulmate was but you appreciated what Insoo was trying to do. "No dice. I'm not free at all this weekend."

"The _entire_ weekend? What the hell are you doing? I can barely get you out of your apartment for a few hours." Great, Insoo was becoming more suspicious now.

"I told you already; I'm going somewhere with a friend," you re-stated irritably.

Insoo changed tactics. "The mixer's on Sunday night -- are you sure you don't want to go?"

"Look I don't think going to a Soulmark mixer is the best idea considering…"

"Considering?" He echoed.

You took a deep breath before committing to a decision. "It's not a good idea since I've already met my soulmate."

Glancing up at Insoo, you saw the shock written all over his face. He certainly hadn't expected you to say that. "How long's this been a thing?"

"A few months?" You winced at the betrayed look he gave you. "Fuck, okay. It's not that I didn't want to tell you but I promised I wouldn't. Minnie was able to get it out of me a few days ago but don't expect a lot of details, you get me? I _promised_."

"Why the hell are you keeping this a secret? If I found my soulmate I'd be telling everyone -- yelling off rooftops, you know?"

Choosing your words carefully, you fidgeted in your seat while explaining, "The person I'm…connected to is pretty well…famous, I guess? I'm talking stalked-by-paparazzi and front-page-on-tabloids famous."

"No shit?" Insoo asked with both his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"No shit," you echoed without a drop of humor. "So this stays between us, got it? Don't blab off to Soojin just yet."

"Damn…that's…well, that's something." He still sounded completely dumbfounded at the idea you had found your soulmate already.

"It's definitely something." You agreed as you knocked back a shot of soju.

"And you're going on a trip with this person? Is it that serious already?" Insoo gave you a wary look. You knew he was worried about you since you had never mentioned this person to anyone at all and you could understand how sketchy it probably seemed on the outside.

"Don't misunderstand. It's a friend vacation to the countryside; like that time we took that road trip remember?"

Insoo grinned goofily. "Definitely can't forget that. Soojin got so car sick and you were so pissed. You must really like them if they've convinced you to leave your apartment to go _outside_ for a weekend. Are you camping like we did?"

"I don't really know since he's being pretty --"

"Wait, he?" Insoo interrupted.

 _Shit_. You didn't mean for that to come out at all. Fucking Insoo and fucking soju loosening your tongue. "Yes, he."

"Does he have a name?" Insoo smirked playfully. "He does have a name, right?"

"He does but I'm not telling." You snapped because the insinuation that you might be making this up made you annoyed. "Promised, Insoo, _promised_. You know I take that shit seriously."

"Well, are you looking forward to your soulmate vacation?" Insoo needled, wanting as much dirt as he could get out of you. "I won't ask for details but tell me _something_."

You smiled a little sheepishly. "…Yeah, I guess I am."

"Whoa, I've never seen you smile like that!" He exclaimed, even going so far as to point at your face. "You must really like him."

"Shut the fuck up!" You immediately barked, hackles definitely rising. "It's not like that."

"Not like what?" Insoo asked, puzzled at your response.

You averted your gaze feeling embarrassed. How were you supposed to tell him that you had a crush on your soulmate that was completely unreciprocated? "Nothing."

"You're a shit liar, you know that? It's okay to like him, dude. It's pretty standard to like your soulmate -- it's completely allowed."

"Even if they don't like you back like that?" You asked miserably, your gaze not lifting from the table.

"Fuck," Insoo replied elegantly. "You know that for sure?"

"I mean he told me point blank that he wasn't looking for anything besides friendship."

Insoo was silent for a while and when you finally deigned to look up, you hated the pity on his face. "You want to talk about it?"

"I mean what's there to talk about? I like being friends with him and I just got to accept that's all we're ever going to be. It's not like I _want_ to have feelings like this for him -- he's such a weirdo but in a good way, you know? He's even more socially awkward than I am which I didn't even _know_ was fucking possible. And he says the dumbest shit sometimes and it's funny as fuck but I don't even know if he's joking half the time. He's basically a fucking brick wall and I have no idea why he even asked me to come with him in the first place. Especially since we've only been friends for a few months now and it's been pretty good overall except for that time he sent me that Shark Week DVD set…" You stopped, realizing that you had been rambling on for a while now as Insoo stared at you with an expression that you couldn't quite place. "Sorry…it's just…sorry I haven't really had the chance to talk to anyone about this."

"I can tell." Insoo smiled at your answering scowl. "It's…different to see you like this. I've never seen you flustered over a person before."

"Yeah…well…it's not exactly been my favorite thing." You grimaced as you drank more. "It's been driving me nuts. I tried avoiding him but that just makes me feel guilty. So I'm going on dates to get over my dumb feelings."

"So _that's_ why you started dating." Insoo nodded to himself as though the big picture finally made sense to him. "You know you're being a little ridiculous right? I mean Soojin and Jaehee didn't start dating until _years_ after they met. Feelings change; they grow. You can't expect to be in a long-term relationship overnight. Just give the soulmate thing a little time."

"Did Jaehee tell Soojin that they weren't interested in a romantic relationship at all?" You countered; your mouth was drawn in defiance. The thought of you struggling with your feelings for Jumin for years made you really uneasy. "I can't just expect him to change because what I want. There's a real possibility that there will never be anything more between us and I just have to accept it."

"Well, no, Jaehee didn't say that. But it's not all sunshine and rainbows and shit. Soulmate relationships aren't as painless and organized as the media make them out to be." He took a shot of soju. "Hell, even my parents broke up for two years until they got back together and had Soojin."

"So what are you saying?" You asked tiredly.

"I'm saying don't give up _entirely_. At least try. You said it yourself that he's a brick wall. How do you know what's behind it, huh?" Insoo offered.

"Fuck you," you responded with very little bite.

"You know I'm right." God, you wanted to slap the smirk off Insoo's face. "And him inviting you to this vacation is a pretty good sign. Are you really just going to avoid your feelings until they go away? I mean worst case scenario you embarrass yourself and he turns you down but _so what_? It's not like you have to stop being friends then. Things might be awkward for a little bit but you'll both get over it eventually."

When he put it way…he made it sound like you were doing what Jumin did. Ignoring problems until they went away was completely against your style. If anything, you confronted your problems head-on with a reckless attitude. It often got you into a lot of trouble but that was how you usually dealt with things. Why would this be any different?

"I think I liked it better when you weren't my voice of reason," you grumbled.

Insoo shrugged. "Someone's got to knock some sense into that stubborn brain of yours. Granted, it happens pretty rarely because you can _usually_ be reasoned with. I mean, worse to comes to worse, maybe you can just be your mulish self and intimidate him into a date."

"I know you're joking but that's not funny, dipshit." The idea of intimidating someone into a date with you left a really bad taste in your mouth even if Jumin didn't seem like someone who got pressured into something by anyone. "Besides he's nearly as stubborn as I am."

Insoo whistled because that was really saying something. "Damn, and you two haven't fought yet?"

"I mean we disagree on stuff and sometimes we…okay, okay, I need some time to cool off but it's never gotten to the point where we can't talk about stuff." There was that time when Jumin gave you the cold shoulder for seemingly no reason but he had promised not to do that again which you were definitely going to hold him to. Otherwise, your friendship had very few blips on the record since the majority of the time you both got along pretty well.

"Knowing all this, the last few weeks make a lot more sense now. I knew there was something different going on with you but had no idea what it was."

"How am I different?" You narrowed your eyes.

"I don't know. Relieved?" Insoo shrugged as he tried to explain himself. "You seem lighter…less tense? It's a good different."

That was surprising to hear. Had Jumin changed as well after meeting you? You had ever expected your soulmate to have this much of a tangible effect but maybe it was inevitable? Some people argued that your soulmate was someone who helped you grow into your true potential; someone to balance and round you out; to help you smooth out your hard edges. And you had _a lot_ of hard edges.

"…So…" You gave Insoo a questioning look as he drew out the word. "What's your soulmate like? Why'd you call him weird, anyway?"

"I guess I call him that because I've never met anyone like him before. He's pretty guarded and distrusting but he's really…generous? Kind? He has the weirdest sense of humor but it always manages to make me laugh. I like that I don't have to walk on eggshells around him and he just accepts my attitude, grouchiness and all."

"You know for a solid minute I thought you were making this up as some drunken tale but the way you look when you talk about him…he's actually real, isn't he?"

You glared at him in furious disbelief. "Why the _fuck_ would I lie about this?"

Insoo shrugged. "People do weird shit when they're lonely. Like adopt cats."

"Phil is worth at least _fifty_ of you. And that's just on the days he tries to destroy my mugs."

Insoo shook his head. "Give me a dog any day."

"Thanks for letting me talk this out with you. I think I really needed it," you said sincerely. It was a lot harder keeping this to yourself than you expected and you wondered how in the hell Jumin managed to do this for _years_ on end.

"Don't get sappy on me now, Ms. Grouch." Insoo wagged his finger in disapproval. "Thank me publically on your wedding day and name your first born after me. That's all I ask."

"Just for _that_ , I'm making Soojin my Maid of Honor."

Insoo arched a brow, thoroughly unimpressed with your bluff. "You know she'd drive you crazy within a week. She'd have your bachelorette party at poetry recital or something. But congrats on finding your soulmate." Insoo raised his glass and clinked it with yours. " _Geonbae_."

You were thankful that you had let Insoo in on the secret at least partially. It was like half the world had been lifted from your shoulders and you felt a little more relaxed about the upcoming weekend trip. You promised yourself that you'd stop holding back your feelings for just one weekend like Insoo suggested...maybe even gather up the nerve to flirt a little.

There was just one problem.

 

 

 

 

You had _no fucking clue_ how to flirt.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about the lack of jumin in this one but i promise our fave cat mom will be back in the next update!
> 
> thankyouthankyouthankyou to everyone who commented!! i never expected this story to be as popular as it is and honestly y'all really encourage me to write!!
> 
> i hope yall are excited for the awkward vacation as much as i am.


	11. XI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the cray vacay part one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the only man i stan is one (1) jumin han

 

You're not sure how you managed it, but somehow you were ready by exactly 6:45 a.m. which was an incredible feat on your part considering how you were literally falling asleep on your feet. You had nearly tripped over Phil several times in the past half-hour alone and coffee wasn't doing shit for your attention-level. God, you really hoped that you could sleep during the car ride or whatever. You leaned against the wall of your living room, feeling your eyelids begin to slip shut. You were afraid that if you sat down, you'd fall asleep for real and you'd end up missing Jumin knocking on your door.

At least you had remembered to pack a duffle bag with your clothing and Phil's things last night (you really shouldn't have been surprised he invited Phil considering that this was Jumin Han, after all; of fucking course, he would bring his cat along on his vacation). You had spent a lot of time just dicking around last night -- a bad habit that you always regretted the next day -- and you were paying for it now. Shit, you really should make another cup of coffee for the road.

Just as you were summing up the will to move to the kitchen, a knock sounded on your front door. Checking your phone, you noticed that Jumin was a whole ten minutes early. You tried to open the door twice but finally managed it on your third try.

"Good morning." Of fucking course, Jumin looked immaculate as though he rolled out of bed wearing a three-piece suit. Then again, that was _entirely_ possible. "Did you sleep well?"

You grunted in response before shouldering your duffle bag and Phil's cat carrier.

"I stayed up late last night like an idiot," you grumbled, "it's part of the reason why I find mornings so fucking awful. I have no self-control when it comes to going to sleep at a reasonable time."

"I can put you to bed, if you prefer," Jumin smoothly suggested.

That made your eyes snap open as you stared at him wide-eyed. He was joking -- this _had_ to be just another weird Jumin joke so you mentally told your heart to fucking _chill_. You gave him a smile though because the mental image of Jumin tucking you in at night amused you. Would he read you a story? Sing you a lullaby? The thought was so bizarre that you even laughed a little.

"You might have to if I pass out drunk," you quipped, deciding to play along as much as your tired brain allowed.

"Do you really drink so recklessly?" Jumin asked, slightly alarmed.

"No, but as I recall, I promised to drink your rich ass under the table. Plus you wanted to see me drunk right?" You mumbled the words, trying to keep your eyes open.

"Are you usually so careless around men?"

"Men?" You glanced around as though looking for some. "It's just you. Unless you've invited someone else?" That thought hadn't even occurred to you. It was entirely possible that Jumin had invited other people but Jumin shook his head to confirm that it really was just the two of you. "And I trust you, Jumin. 'Sides, it'll push you to level three if we get drunk together."

Jumin motioned to take your duffle bag off your hands but you stepped away. You were more than capable of carrying a weekend's worth of clothing and Phil. "It's cool, your highness. Royalty don't carry bags for peasants."

You missed the look on his face because you were too busy locking your apartment door, but his expression had smoothed over by the time you were done. You were eternally grateful that none of your neighbors were outside yet…seeing as most of them were older and retired, they tended to be a little gossipy. Then again, it was entirely possible that your neighbors already knew about Jumin seeing as he had visited you a handful of times whenever you were watching Elizabeth.

The air outside was cold as you walked to where Driver Kim had parked the car. You gave the older man a friendly wave, your smile half-hearted because you were still sleepy. _God, you needed some coffee_. Yawning as you handed your duffle bag to Driver Kim to place in the trunk, you were a little startled when Jumin abruptly opened the car door for you. You still weren't used to having people open doors for you, mostly because you didn't understand why you couldn't just open it yourself. Mentally shrugging it off, you slid into the seat until you sat next to the window, carefully placing Phil on the seat behind you and buckling the seatbelt around his carrier so it wouldn't move during the drive. You saw Elizabeth in her own carrier nearby and you gave her a sleepy wave before a yawn overtook you entirely. You slumped in your seat but luckily remembered to fasten your seatbelt before passing the fuck out.

* * *

 

**V, she doesn't see me as a man.**

 

 

**Maybe you should just show her?**

**You did get Korea's Most Eligible Bachelor**

**for the fourth year in a row.**

 

 

**That's a frivolous tabloid title.**

 

**Just show her the ol'**

**Han charm.**

**;)**

 

 

**I'm not entirely sure it would work.**

**She seems immune to the usual**

**procedure that I typically employ.**

 

In truth, Jumin never had to truly work all that hard to get women to pay attention to him. They were often like moths -- attracted to the flame of his family's money and perhaps just his face. All he ever had to do was to pay a modicum of attention to what they were saying and minutes later they would be eating out of his hand. The rest he had learned from watching his father…a fact that he wasn't entirely proud of.

Jumin glanced to his left, watching you as you slept against the car door. You had immediately fallen asleep as Driver Kim had started driving, your mouth was open slightly though you weren't snoring. Occasionally your lips would move as though you were mouthing words but it was difficult for Jumin to tell. There was something about the way the sunlight hit you as your cheek was completely pressed up against the glass. You looked so unguarded while asleep, as though all of your usual armor and bravado were stripped away leaving a softer version of yourself open to him. It amazed him, on one hand, to know that you were so comfortable with him that you'd fall asleep in his presence…he felt honored a little like when Elizabeth would fall asleep in his lap.

He was so entirely enraptured by the sight that he didn't expect the sudden turn that sent the car reeling and jostled its passengers. Jumin braced himself against his own door, being careful as the maneuver sent you flying into his side.

"Hm."

He glanced down at his side to see you firmly leaning against him; your cheek pressed against his shoulder in place of the car window. Jumin opened his mouth to say something when your arms latched onto his left arm while mumbling something unintelligible. He was starting to feel warm on that side undoubtedly because of you and it also reminded him mildly of when Elizabeth sat on his lap except _entirely_ different. A part of him wished he could move his left arm to place it around you instead ( _just_ so that you'd be more comfortable, of course). Unfortunately, you had a very tight grip on it, holding his arm so tightly to your chest that he doubted he could move it without disturbing your sleep. And waking you was _not_ an option he was willing to entertain at this moment -- clearly, your sleep took priority and it wasn't like Jumin was being inconvenienced in any way. He could just as easily use his phone with his right hand.

Jumin shot Driver Kim a look of disbelief, confusion and slight panic. Was this an acceptable flirting tactic? Nothing in his online or magazine research ever mentioned what to do if you fell asleep on him mid-journey. You let out a soft exhale and Jumin felt himself relax after hearing the sound and for once allowed himself to simply enjoy the feeling of you leaning against him. He closed his eyes, knowing it was very unlikely for him to fall asleep but he nevertheless wanted to share this quiet moment with you. The tension in his body ebbing away as he began to appreciate your softness and your scent.

He also made a mental note to give his driver a bigger holiday bonus.

 

* * *

 

 

 

> **Yoosung⋆: Ah, Jumin! How's the grape farm??**
> 
> **Jumin Han: Vineyard.**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: (confused)**
> 
> **Yoosung: But don't they grow grapes there?**
> 
> **Jumin Han:** **_Vineyard_** **.**
> 
> **Jumin Han: Grapes are in fact grown here but primarily, the majority of the grapes are later made into wine.**
> 
> **Jumin Han: Therefore, it is a vineyard.**
> 
> **Jumin Han: The visit is going quite well. We are currently en route.**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: Wait…**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: "We"???**
> 
> **ZEN: Don't get it twisted, Yoosung.**
> 
> **ZEN: He probably just means the furball.**
> 
> **Jumin Han: Not that it is any of your business, Zen, but I also invited my soulmate.**
> 
> **ZEN: I can't believe you forced your soulmate to come with you to some farm;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: It must be pretty boring;;**
> 
> **Jumin Han: I didn't force anything. She agreed to it.**
> 
> **ZEN: She?**
> 
> **ZEN: Your soulmate is…**
> 
> **ZEN: a woman?!;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: (shocked)**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: (shocked)**
> 
> **707 has entered the chatroom.**

 

 

> **707: (shocked)**
> 
> **707: Dun dun duuunnnnn!!!!**
> 
> **707: Mr. Trust Fund Kid's soulmate is actually a woman!!**
> 
> **Jumin Han: Yes.**
> 
> **Jumin Han: Why is that so shocking?**
> 
> **ZEN: Man I can't believe that some woman is stuck with you as her soulmate;;;;;**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: Wait I'm confused;;**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: Isn't your soulmate Elizabeth?**
> 
> **ZEN: Yoosung!**
> 
> **ZEN: The jerk might be crazy but there's no way his soulmate is a cat.**
> 
> **ZEN: That makes** **_no_ ** **sense.**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: Yeah…I guess that would be pretty ridiculous. lol**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: (embarrassed)**
> 
> **ZEN: …wait;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: Is she cute?**
> 
> **Jumin Han:** **_Are you out of your mind?_ **
> 
> **Jumin Han: You have your own soulmate.**
> 
> **ZEN: don't misunderstand it's not like that;;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: I'm just…** **_curious_** **.**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: Me too.**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: I wanna know what Jumin's soulmate looks like.**
> 
> **707: ask and ye shall receive**
> 
> **707: god seven always provides**
> 
> **Jumin Han: Luciel.**
> 
> **707: you can't hide her forever mista ceo-in-line**
> 
> **Jumin Han:** **_Luciel_** **.**
> 
> **707: curious how you respect her privacy now trust fund kid**
> 
> **707: where was that when I ran her background check huh?!**
> 
> **ZEN: show us a picture.**
> 
> **Jumin Han: What?**
> 
> **ZEN: I still think you made this all up and you got Seven and Jaehee in on it;;;;**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: But why would Jumin lie about this?**
> 
> **ZEN: She's probably imaginary -- like a pretend soulmate.**
> 
> **Jumin Han: Zen is entirely too obsessed with women so much so that he's concerned with** **_my soulmate_** **.**
> 
> **Jumin Han: I would have thought that finding your own would have broken you of this habit.**
> 
> **Jumin Han: But I see that you can't teach a fish new tricks.**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: …Jumin I think it's dog.**
> 
> **Jumin Han: I know what I said, Yoosung.**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: ….right.**
> 
> **ZEN: send a photo, you jerk.**
> 
> **ZEN: if she's actually real then prove it to us;;;;;**
> 
> **Jumin Han: If it will finally stop this line of preposterous thought.**
> 
> **Jumin Han: (attachment: self_portrait.jpg)**
> 
> **ZEN: what**
> 
> **ZEN: what the hell is that?????;;;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: that blob on the side…is that your shoulder?;;;;;**
> 
> **Jumin Han: A photo.**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: It's so…blurry?**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: Was this supposed to be a selfie?**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: (confused)**
> 
> **Jumin Han: Yes, I believe that is the common vernacular nowadays.**
> 
> **ZEN: you can't even tell who's in this photo!!;;**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: Zen's right lolll**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: you really can't see anything at all**
> 
> **707: this is a cursed image**
> 
> **707: not even my legendary photoshop skills can salvage this lololollll**

 

* * *

 

 _Damn_ , the detergent you used to wash your pillow cover and sheets was _amazing_. You were going to start buying bottles of this shit just so you could sniff it on the regular. Was that dangerous? Could you get arrested for sniffing ungodly amounts of detergent? Your brain felt fuzzy but it was starting to clear -- a tell-tale sign that you were likely waking up from whatever weird dream you probably had. You immediately noticed that you definitely weren't in your bed unless you had somehow fallen asleep sitting up. You sighed before opening your eyes slowly; you appreciated that it wasn't too bright just yet -- maybe you had remembered to close the blinds this time? -- your brain stalling until you realized that you were looking at the interior of a car.

 _What the hell were you leaning on_?

You first glanced to your left, noting how the scenery continued to pass by through the tinted windows. It looked like you had a bit to go to get to your destination but you wondered how long you had been asleep for. Half an hour? An hour? More? You had no idea where Jumin's vineyard was now that you thought about it.

Speaking of Jumin, by now your mind had fully processed that the thing you were probably leaning against was Jumin. Either him or a very large body pillow that doubled as him. You should probably move away. Your mouth had been open and you were praying to every deity that you could think of that you hadn't drooled on him. _Fuck_ , you're not sure if you'd be ever able to look him in the face if you found out that you got your saliva all over his designer suit. Would that stain? _Shit. Shit. Shit_. You had no idea.

But Jumin would have done something if you had drooled on him, right? He wouldn't have just idly sat there and let it happen. Come to think of it, if Jumin hadn't pushed you away by now that either meant two things -- he either didn't want to or he had also fallen asleep. You very subtly glanced at his lap and noticed that he had his phone in hand. Okay so _probably_ not asleep then.

You steeled yourself internally for the impending awkwardness that would happen once you finally loosened the death grip you had on Jumin's left arm. You were going to miss leaning on him though, he felt extremely warm and you always liked a good heat source while you slept. As casually as you could manage, you moved your arms away and shifted your body closer to the window as though it was a natural movement one did while asleep.

What you weren't expecting was for Jumin to tug you back to his side.

The result was rather clumsy; you bumped your cheek against his shoulder a little harder than you would have liked and your teeth clattered just a bit. You were perfectly fine, of course, but his action had been entirely unexpected and therefore a little jarring.

So you tried again but with a different approach in mind. "How much longer until we're there?" Your voice was still a little raspy from sleep but you managed it without it being too distorted.

"Not too much longer, I believe we'll reach the villa in about ten minutes," Jumin answered calmly as though having you practically glued to his side was a completely normal occurrence.

"How long was I asleep for?" You blinked the sleep out of your eyes slowly.

"A few hours." You opened your mouth but before you were able to ask, Jumin answered, "I made sure that Phil and Elizabeth were given fresh water during one of our scheduled breaks."

"Thanks," you murmured still reeling from the fact that you had slept nearly the entire ride. Well, it was just a car ride it wasn't like there was much to miss. You rubbed your eyes with your free hand, trying to wipe the sleep from your face. Well, you did feel far more awake than you had earlier -- there was still an underlying current of drowsiness that you hoped to banish with a little food and more coffee. "Sorry for being such a boring co-passenger."

"I don't mind. It's easier to think when you're not talking."

" _Gee_ , if that's the case why'd you ask me to come along?" It was something you were wondering about for a while ever since your talk with Insoo. Insoo had claimed that since you had no idea what was going on in that robot brain of his, you couldn't necessarily dismiss the possibility that his feelings could change. This entire thing had already proved to you that Jumin didn't mind having you close by but you wondered how he'd react when you weren't asleep and crowding his personal space purposely. What would he do if you held his hand? Hugged him? You felt a little cheated that you somehow managed to be a better flirt asleep than you were awake.

"You're interesting in a way that I've never encountered before. I find myself wanting to know your opinion on everything even menial things. It can be…rather distracting."

 _Distracting_? "Hm, Soojin thinks that it's my aura? She apparently called it commanding." That had definitely gotten a laugh out of you. "But I think she meant _annoying_."

"I see. I've read about such a concept in my book of black magic," Jumin offered easily as though he was stating a fact on the weather and not that he was revealing his love for the occult. You had found out about it on your one trip to his penthouse when you toured his library and coincidentally found a stack of leather-bound books with odd writing on them. You still found it a little odd that someone as rational as Jumin Han would collect books on magic but you figured that someone like him would have _unique_ hobbies. Maybe it was Jumin's version of cutting loose or something.

"Black magic?" You echoed as you turned to look at him properly, finally moving away from him. "Cast any spells recently?"

Jumin scoffed as he adjusted his blazer. "It's not a spell book; that's a completely different manuscript entirely."

"I want to try casting some spells. Maybe my aura'll be good for something and I'll be able to bully objects into moving for me." If you ever got to choose your superpower it'd definitely be that.

"You're mistaking aura for actual magical ability."

"Whatever," you casually dismissed, "don't act like you wouldn't completely lose your shit if you saw me bend a spoon with my mind."

"I suppose that if you did manage such a feat, I would, as you said, _lose my shit_."

You grinned, already planning a future prank. While Jumin was undoubtedly the smartest person you had likely ever met, he was shockingly gullible. You blamed the fact on his complete lack of street smarts but it made you smirk knowing that you'd be able to pull the wool over his eyes. The car was slowing down and you leaned against the window to look at the expansive driveway that Driver Kim was entering. The entire area was lush with greenery, and though you hadn't spotted the building where you would be staying, you already knew you'd be impressed. The grounds were extremely well-kept considering that Jumin only stayed here for a few weekends out of the year.

"What ability would you want?" You asked while your face was still pressed against the window. "If you had to choose a magical one, I mean."

"Hm, if I had to choose only one I would want to read minds."

"Why?"

"To understand people at their very basis is a powerful thing. For most people, it would likely be unneeded but it would likely prove invaluable in various aspects of my life."

"That's surprising." Was it wrong that you were surprised that it wasn't even the slightest bit cat-related? "I thought you would have asked to be able to speak to cats."

"Unnecessary. I already understand all of Elizabeth's distinct meows," Jumin dismissed.

"Oh really?" You raised your eyebrows. "Prove it."

You watched, nearly choking on air when Jumin Han cleared his throat and then let out an honest-to-motherfucking-god meow. Of all the fucking things, you weren't expecting him to do _that_. The fucking kicker was that Elizabeth and Phil actually answered him like they understood what he was saying.

"You're amazing." The whispered words stumbled out of your mouth before you were fully aware of them.

"I am extraordinary in both talent _and_ looks but thank you," Jumin responded with a full smile.

The vehicle finally rolled to a stop and you gratefully took off your seatbelt. You stretched as much as you could in the car before turning to get Phil's carrier free. Jumin was already doing the same for Elizabeth and your eyes winced a little as sunlight poured in when he opened the car door. Well, at least you had packed sunglasses in your bag…but that was in the trunk, ugh. You were a little surprised when Jumin stood near the car door, his hand outstretched in obvious invitation.

Admittedly, you stared at his hand a little ( _a lot_ ) longer than you probably should have. But in your defense was there really a time limit for accepting someone's hand? Jumin was being a lot more…tactile than you were expecting. While he had helped you get out of the car on occasion, something about it felt different at this moment probably because you had literally slept on him for almost an entire car ride.

You bit your tongue hard before taking it as nonchalantly as you could. _It wasn't a big deal, calm the fuck down_. At least that was what you told yourself until you looked up. You  saw two neat rows of sharply-dressed servants flanking the walkway, all bowing from the waist as they said, "Welcome back, Mr. Han."

…Yeah you were like 80% sure that Jumin wasn't a mob boss. Maybe Minnie was actually onto something when he brought it up.

Because _holy shit_ , this was insane. The structure in front of you was _huge_. An elegant villa of rustic brick but modern glass fixings -- you felt like you had accidentally stumbled into one of your mother's _Home & Garden_ magazines. There was even a fucking _fountain_ out front that distracted you from the silence.

You were _so_ in over your fucking head.

Reflexively, your grip on Phil's carrier tightened. _Whatthefuck_. You were overwhelmed to say the least even as you felt Jumin's hand tightening around yours which reminded you that he was still holding your hand even when you were safely out of the car. _Whatthefuck_. This wasn't the first time you had felt this -- the last time had been when you visited Jumin at his penthouse and saw how he lived every day. It felt jarring, especially after he had seen your apartment (in various states of messiness). It wasn't so much that you felt self-conscious mostly… _uneasy_. You had hidden it reasonably well and managed to deal with your stupid feelings by focusing on Jumin instead of the tour he had given you.

You hated being reminded of Jumin's status particularly when you couldn't avoid it. He never did it on purpose; you were reasonably certain about that. Maybe the reason why it made you so uncomfortable was that it reminded you that Jumin probably would have never looked in your direction if it hadn't been for your soulmarks. A wave of self-loathing hit you like a fucking train.

What the _fuck_ were you doing here? What the fuck were _you_ doing? What the fuck were you doing _here_?

Great. What an awesome fucking time for your insecurities to rear their ugly-ass heads.

"Are you alright?" _Shit, he noticed_. You cursed Jumin for being so perceptive.

"Where's your toilet? Coffee always makes me need to shit." WHAT THE HELL WAS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU DO NOT TELL THE GUY YOU'RE CRUSHING ON THAT YOU NEED TO SHIT.

"Of course," Jumin responded as though that was a perfectly reasonable thing for a person to say. "Our journey was quite long. I'll escort you."

"Nope!" Because you might actually spontaneously combust if that happened. "I'm pretty good with directions so just lay it on me big guy."

 _Lay it on me big guy?_ What parasite had suddenly taken over your body?

 

* * *

 

So you made it to the bathroom even though you probably got lost at least once. The villa was decorated differently than Jumin's penthouse -- everything seemed so much warmer here. The walls were brighter colors and the artwork on the were beautiful to look at. You liked it here even if it had overwhelmed you. Phil was out of his carrier which you had opened as soon as you locked the bathroom door (surprisingly, Jumin had said nothing when you took Phil and his cat carrier to the restroom).

Splashing water on your face, you stared at yourself for a long moment in the mirror. Ignoring how the bathroom fixtures gleamed and the counters were made of expensive marble instead of cheap linoleum.  Ignoring how this bathroom was larger than people's studio apartments.

 _Why was this bothering you so much right now_? You had gotten over how you felt at Jumin's penthouse fairly quickly but this time you weren't calming down -- if anything your anxiety was escalating. It took you a few moments to realize it.

This was bothering you because there was a chance that this could all be real. That Jumin actually wanted to be with you in that way. That he liked you, _romantically_.

The thought both excited you and scared you shitless. You had never done this before -- any of this. Hell, you had gone on your first date just a little while ago and now you were on a vacation with your soulmate trying to figure out how to tell him you liked him without embarrassing yourself. Maybe you were going about this the wrong way. What you really needed was advice from someone who knew what they were doing.

So you asked the most experienced person you knew.

 

**SOS**

**HOW DO YOU FLIRT**

**SEND PICK UP LINES**

 

 

**I gotchu**

**GET THAT DICK SIS**

**(eggplant emoji)**

**(water droplet emoji)**

 

You cringed as you started to read what Minhwan sent you but you steeled your nerves. Minhwan was the proverbial expert when it came to this kind of thing. Sure some of this shit you would never say aloud to another human being no matter the circumstances but not all of them were terrible.

There were a few that you were ambivalent about using considering how much Jumin liked cats. Would using a cat pickup line actually work on him?

… _Maybe if you were drunk. Extremely drunk_.

You shook your head. There was just no way you could say that with a straight face sober -- you'd probably die of laughter.

So instead, you focused your attention on the ones that made you cringe the least.

You could do this -- you were a fuck-awesome veterinarian, a cool sister, a good friend and all-around badass -- you were going to flirt the pants off Jumin Han.

Pun _totally_ fucking intended.

 

* * *

 

"Why did this place have to be such a fucking labyrinth?" You grumbled under your breath as you walked into a closet for the third time. At this rate, Jumin was probably going to need to send a rescue team to find you in his own damn home.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, you walked into the parlor where Jumin was waiting with Elizabeth. "Ah there you are," Jumin called as you walked into his sight.

"Sorry, Phil kept wandering off…" Internally you apologized to Phil since you didn't want to admit that you had ended up walking in circles until a concerned maid had found you. "So what's the plan, your highness?" Knowing Jumin there was probably an entire itinerary involved -- he seemed like the type of person to meticulously plan everything. You made your way to the couch where Jumin was sitting.

"I was just about to ask the cook to prepare lunch. Is there anything that you need?" Jumin had his phone in hand, likely readying himself to text the cook.

"My doctor says I'm deficient in Vitamin U." You patted yourself on the back for that smooth-ass delivery with great eye-contact. It was a little cheesy, sure, but it was a good one. You thought it was cute at the very least.

"I see. I'll inform her to prepare a light meal so as to not aggravate your stomach." Jumin said seriously as he began to make notes on his phone.

"…What?" There were many, many ways you imagined Jumin to react. This was not one of them.

"Vitamin U is used to treat stomach ulcers, correct? I believe my nutritionist had mentioned it to me once."

_Stomach ulcers?_

How had you fucked up flirting so badly that your soulmate thought you had gastrointestinal issues?

"Yup," you responded weakly as visions of drowning yourself in a wine barrel flashed through your head. You really hoped this wasn't an omen for the rest of the weekend.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
>  **Jumin** : are you flirting with me?  
>  **Mina** : i'm fucking trying to
> 
> love reading your comments! hope to hear what yall think of this one


	12. XII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the cray vacay part two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> every time new content is released for this dumb game I somehow fall in love with this weirdo all over again
> 
> (tw for vomit/vomiting)

A part of you had wanted your first attempt at flirting to be successful but judging by the way Jumin had curved your ass, that wasn't the case. Hopefully, he really thought you had a delicate stomach and wasn't outright rejecting you. Regardless, it was exceedingly clear that neither of you were on the same page or even the same fucking _book_ for that matter.

As you mindlessly shoved food into your mouth during lunch, you considered your next move. You weren't quite ready to throw in the towel just yet since it hadn't been a proper rejection. So that meant you had to try again until Jumin _decisively_ reacted. You really didn't want to embarrass yourself but you also knew logically that you did have to put yourself out there so to speak. The only way this would work would be if you left yourself open to rejection no matter how much it might hurt. Flirting subtly was a lot harder than you had expected. You had wanted to be smooth about it and maybe flirt like you had seen in one of your dramas but you wondered if being brutally upfront about it was the better way to go. Brutally upfront was _your_ style, after all.

You weren't sure if you had it in you to be that sultry seductress they always showed on T.V. On that same note, you weren't even 100% certain that Jumin was attracted to you physically. Then again how would you know if he was? Jumin kept his feelings close to his chest and he tended to ignore them. The only thing you could be sure about was that he didn't outright hate you and enjoyed your company for some reason. God, you were pretty certain that you were overthinking the shit out of this. Was flirting supposed to be this hard? How did people do this on a regular basis?

"Is the food to your tastes? You've been rather quiet."

Jumin's sudden question startled you a little but you managed not to drop any cutlery. "It's good. Be sure to thank the chef for me." That was an understatement. The spread had been amazing which wasn't surprising seeing as Jumin had a personal chef but it was _leagues_ above your usual takeout food. You wondered if Jumin would let you take the leftovers home for the week…

"Why would you thank them for doing their job?" Jumin asked.

"Why _wouldn't_ you?" You raised your eyebrows after realizing that his question had been genuine. "Don't you praise your employees when they've done good work?" Even Dr. Yeun complimented you on occasion…sure it was rare but you _lived_ for those moments. Suddenly you remembered everything Soojin had ever complained about when it came to Jumin and it made you uncomfortable knowing that she might not be too far off the mark.

"I find it unnecessary considering that I pay them," Jumin replied casually as he sipped his water. That response threw you completely off-kilter. _Unnecessary?_

"Animals work better when they're encouraged," you deadpanned. Honestly, for someone who prided himself on productivity, he was missing some essentials. "People are pretty much the same."

He glanced up from his food, confusion was written all over his face. "Shouldn't money be enough of an incentive?"

"Newsflash, your highness, money isn't everything," you retorted but tried to keep your tone light. This was pretty basic stuff but you had long learned that Jumin didn't have the most conventional upbringing. The way he interacted with people was so stilted. Jumin was entirely too clinical in his dealings with other people. His question troubled you -- didn't he like being encouraged? "It doesn't replace genuine appreciation and respect."

"Respect?"

"Showing people that you appreciate them and not just their actions is a sign of respect." Your reply was matter-of-fact and to the point. Describing things in abstract terms wasn't going to help at all. "It's important to not just be grateful what they do for you because that's selfish."

"Aren't those inherently the same thing?" It was a good sign that Jumin was at least asking clarifying questions so it meant he was half-way invested in what you said.

"It's not." _But I can see why you might have trouble seeing the difference._

Respect mattered to you a lot. Mom always said you were a rather prideful child and that had never gone away as you grew older. You demanded it and were often annoyed when people got testy once they realized they couldn’t walk all over you. The way Jumin treated his employees bothered you, especially with the way this conversation was going. You did hold out some hope though; Jumin was a reasonable man, after all. Even if you couldn't completely change his mind, you could at least get him to start thinking about the way he treated the people around him.

"I think that's the longest you've gone without cursing."

The fact Jumin noticed made you bite the inside of your mouth to keep the _fuck you_ that was on the tip of your tongue. It wasn't that you couldn't go without cussing just that you didn't see why you needed to in front of people you were comfortable with. His comment bugged the shit out of you, however. Did that mean he didn't like it? It only made sense, after all. Jumin wore the refined gentleman look rather well while you were anything but a lady.

 _Shitshitshitshit._ The reminder soured your mood. So instead of being defensive and snapping back like you normally would, you just shrugged and looked away from him, not noticing Jumin's lips downturn.

* * *

 

You were acting strange again and it reminded Jumin of that time when you visited him at his penthouse. He wasn't completely certain what it was you were feeling but it seemed as though you were unsure of yourself. _Uncomfortable._ Last time it had happened, your visit had ended on a strange note though Jumin had been oblivious as to what had caused it. Contrary to common belief, Jumin knew how to read the mood of a room it was a necessary skill for business negotiations and he often had to manipulate that mood in his ventures. He had initially tried to dismiss it due to your finicky digestive tract but it soon became clear that it ran deeper than that. Jumin wanted you to feel comfortable with him just like he did with you. The feeling was rare and perhaps that was why he treasured your company so much. It was similar to the way he felt with V and it continually amazed him that he had managed to find someone else who made him feel comfortable in his own skin.

A part of him considered asking you outright what was wrong but he had his doubts about whether that would be a fruitful enterprise. You could be just as closed off and guarded as Jumin was though you were not nearly as good at hiding your true feelings. Your face was always so expressive and animated; he hated whenever he saw it carefully smooth over which was a telltale sign you were shielding him from your emotions.

Jumin stewed in his thoughts as lunch concluded and kept a careful eye on you.

"So what's next on the agenda, cat man?" You asked after Jumin convinced you to leave the dishes on the table for the servants to pick up. The notion had obviously unsettled you but you were quick to drop the argument much to his disappointment. This easy agreement reminded him of when he had dropped off Elizabeth and you had all but ignored him -- this was not a fortuitous start for the weekend as he had hoped.

"I thought a tour of the facilities and a sampling of the wine would be a good place to start if that's acceptable?"

Jumin was glad to see your expression brighten and led you outside to where Manager Lee was waiting alongside a golf cart. The golf cart was necessary to tour the entire property since the vineyard encompassed a several dozen acres and the main warehouse was quite a ways off from the villa.

"Wow I don't think I've ever seen a golf cart in real life before," he heard you murmur.

Jumin turned his head, intrigued by this information. "Have you never played golf?"

Your mouth curved into a wry smile. "It's not exactly an _accessible_ game for peasants, your highness. Is it fun?"

"I find it to be an enjoyable way to pass time. While the facilities do not have a full course, there is a driving range on the property. I'd be pleased to show you." Jumin took advantage of it on occasion when he visited the villa and wanted to keep his golf skills sharp. For Jumin, golfing had begun as a bonding activity with his father but had grown into a hobby he found comfort in. It was rather convenient seeing as many of his business associates were rather invested in the game as well.

You snorted. "Sure, can't say I'd be any good though. I might end up throwing one of those clubs on accident. I'm more of a baseball person."

Jumin smirked, the mental image was rather amusing. "I'll teach you the proper form."

"Shame. I think throwing the clubs might actually be more fun. Think you could show me how to drive one of those carts instead?" Your smile was a little wider and your eyes were bright with challenge.

Jumin was about to mention that he rarely ever drove even when it came to golf carts (the caddies generally did so) until he thought better of it. Your flippant comment about not seeing him as a man had actually… _irked_ him. He wondered if perhaps driving the cart would at least help you see him in a different light.

"Ah, Mr. Han. Are you and your guest ready for the tour?" Manager Lee asked as you approached the cart.

"There's been a slight change in plans, Manager Lee. I'll be driving the cart."

"Are you sure, sir?" Manager Lee's eyes bulged. "It's really no problem at all for me to…"

"I'm certain," Jumin stated firmly, missing the fearful look Manager Lee gave you before the three of you got into the golf cart.

Jumin excelled at everything -- driving this golf cart would be no exception.

* * *

 

Blinking rapidly, you were thankful that the dizziness was fading now that the cart had stopped moving. The manager was still sprawled out in the backseat of the golf-cart, though he was gaining some color back into his face so you were fairly certain he would eventually be okay. You had been confused when Manager Lee had given you a look when Jumin insisted on driving but now you knew it was because Jumin was a _terrible_ driver. So terrible it was borderline miraculous, amazing even. You were pretty certain that it broke every law in physics for the cart to have gotten so far off the ground without crashing. Or be able to turn on one wheel alone. Or do a wheelie.

Jumin in the driver seat looked completely unbothered as though having a golf-cart do a flip in the air was an everyday occurrence. You felt flushed with adrenaline and a little giddy. Jumin was just full of surprises and every time you discovered something new about him you felt…breathless. How on earth anyone had ever described him as boring was beyond you. Jumin was anything but boring.

"Who taught you how to drive like that?" You blurted out as you got out of the cart, keeping a hand on it so as to not lose your balance, semi-relieved to be on stable ground once again. You were still feeling a little off-kilter after that crazy ride. "That was incredible!"

"Driver Kim." _Ah, that made sense._ Though you were sincerely doubting that Driver Kim ever bothered to teach him after the first lesson. "Though I must say that I am surprised to learn that you're a screamer just like he is."

… _Screamer?_ You choked audibly and your face flushed because your mind was currently playing in the gutter so you laughed nervously trying to ignore your stupid thoughts. Jumin had compared you to his driver for fuck's sake, he definitely didn't mean it that way. "Uh, yeah, you should hear me on a rollercoaster."

"Are you a fan of them? A business contact of mine gave me tickets to Shanghai Disney, we should go there next."

You blinked twice. Jumin was just casually making plans to go abroad just so you could ride a roller coaster together? "You don't need to take me to Shanghai to hear me scream." _Holy shit_ , did you really just say that? Jumin stared at you and you held your breath wondering how he was going to respond. After a few tense seconds, you caved and continued, "…I mean there's parks here in Korea."

Yup, because that's totally what you meant. No double entendre intended whatsoever. God, you were such a fucking hot mess.

Jumin nodded but he was still staring at you very closely. You kept eye-contact with him for far longer than what was probably necessary. Why wouldn't he just say _something_? This waiting was agonizing especially considering that you weren't the most patient person in the world. _Fuck it_ , maybe you should just come out and say something.

"Jumin, I -- "

You were unfortunately interrupted by the sound of Manager Lee's retching nearby. He still looked rather pale after the wild golf-cart ride, and you doubted he was in any condition to lead the tour right now. Poor dude.

"Manager Lee, I'll call security to escort you back. You should go home for the day."

"But Mr. Han the tour…" Manager Lee weakly protested.

"Nonsense. It's obvious that you're in no condition to keep going and jeopardizing your health will only worsen the condition. I'll inform them to bring along medicine for your nausea."

You watched as Jumin made the call to his security team and waited for them to arrive before walking you to the large building where the wine was made. The conversation during lunch had worried you but seeing Jumin's actions right now…it gave you a little peace of mind. Jumin was kind and there was more to him than just his corporate robot mask that he wore. "That was really kind of you."

"Kind?" Jumin echoed. "Logically, Manager Lee wasn't fit to work. There was no point in forcing him when he's ill."

Maybe so, but there was no true need for Jumin to ask the security team to escort Manager Lee back to the main house or for them to bring him nausea medication. "Sure, _okay_." You gave him a smile though nonetheless.

"What were you going to say?" Jumin asked.

"Huh?" You replied intelligently.

"Earlier, you were about to say something."

"Oh, uh." You steeled yourself mentally. "I don't remember." _Nope_ , responding to Jumin's _screamer_ comment had taken all of your flirting skill for the moment.

* * *

 

"This a velvety, flamboyant red wine with a hint of spice from the oak wine barrels imported from France. If you concentrate you can taste the notes of dark chocolate that linger on the tongue…"

You gave Jumin a skeptical look as you took the glass from him. How the hell could fermented grape juice taste like chocolate? On that note how the fuck would it be velvety? You took a careful sip, letting the wine sit on your tongue just a bit. You tried not to look at Jumin since he was watching your expression very closely and it made you want to laugh at how serious he was. He was acting as though your opinion on this wine was going to be the key to some universal truth or something.

"Your thoughts?" Jumin prompted.

"It…tastes like grapes?" You responded hesitantly, unsure if you were supposed to make shit up at this point. How else would someone describe a wine as spicy? "I mean there's a tang, I guess. And my mouth got a little dry…" You licked your lips, trying to think of a way to describe what you were tasting a little more eloquently.

"That would be the tannins but it's rather smooth is it not?" Jumin asked; you were so distracted from concentrating on the wine that you didn't notice the way his eyes lingered upon your mouth which was stained red from the wine.

"Sure but you're definitely bullshitting me about the chocolate…" You grumbled. A chocolate wine would be amazing, you were sure of it. "You hyped it up a lot more."

"It might be more obvious if you tried it with chocolate," Jumin conceded. "There are many wines that meant to be paired with dessert but I myself am partial to the drier ones."

"Dry means bitter right?" You managed to pick that up after the seventh tasting and glad to see him nod in confirmation. It was extremely impressive how knowledgeable Jumin was about wine, stating facts about growing conditions, harvesting techniques and even how to bottle the final product. The types of wine produced were mind-boggling to you and you felt a little overwhelmed by his experience. "I kind of want to try a sweet wine to compare."

"Perhaps an ice wine would be more your style? I should have a few bottles in the cellar underneath the villa."

"Ice wine?" There were way too many fucking types of wine. At this rate, you'd be better off just knowing the difference between red and white wines…

"It's a variety of wine that's produced when the grapes are frozen on the vine. The residual sugars tend to be much higher." Jumin's lips curled into a smile. "They're the opposite of fire wines, of course."

"At this point, I feel like you're making shit up just to mess with me." You attempted a scowl which quickly dissolved into laughter because that joke was corny as hell. "But I think I do like wine. It's pretty…pretty great actually."

"I'm glad." Jumin's smile was bright and you felt your heart lurch. "I find wine is better enjoyed in good company."

 _He likes your company!_ Part of your mind was shrieking while the other part of your mind was frantically chanting, _stay cool you already knew that dumbass that's why you're here._ You couldn't help respond with a goofy smile and that was when you knew that even if nothing happened romantically between the two of you, his happiness was enough to make you feel content.

"Ah, it seems that the tour went later than I initially planned," Jumin sounded surprised, making you think that you were completely off schedule. "We should head back to get ready for dinner."

"Get ready?" You echoed in confusion, wondering what kind of preparation was needed considering it was literally just the two of you. "I mean we're just eating right?"

Jumin smiled and it felt like your heart had been sucker-punched. "If that's all you desire, however, if there is anything else you want don't hesitate to let me know." You blinked dumbly, nearly dropping the wineglass as his fingers brushed against yours as he took it from your hand. All you could do was stare as Jumin finished the remaining sip almost greedily, his wine-stained lips prominent against his skin. "I want to satisfy them, all of your whims no matter how petty." He punctuated his statement with a lick of his lower lip as his heavy gaze bore down on you. Your heart was practically vibrating in your chest with how fast it was beating and _holyfuckholyfuckholyfuck_ \--

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You had always assumed that you'd die from a heart attack induced by all that fatty junk food you were all too fond of or by picking a fight with the wrong person but it seemed as though fate had an entirely different method in mind.

Jumin Han might really be the end of you and, _holy fucking shit_ were you in for it now.

 

* * *

 

 **hey quick question**  
**is it possible for your soulmate**  
**to kill you?**

 **what the _fuck_ ms. grouch**  
**is your soulmate a serial killer???**  
**do you need me to call 119????**  
**?????**  
**mina???**  
_**MINA** _

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **jumin shoots his shot** :  
>  **mina** : Dead 4:37 P.M.
> 
> over 3300+ hits and over 25 comments on the last chapter?? a bitch is shook  
> love hearing your thoughts!! thank you so much for the support and i'm happy yall like it so much it really means a lot


	13. XIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the cray vacay part three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yup still in love with this weirdo.

Your brain was broken. There were two warring parts -- one which screamed at you to flirt back because why the _fuck_ would anyone say something like that if it _wasn't_ sexual in nature (that one was also trying to figure out how to tell Jumin you wanted him to fuck your brains out without using those exact words so there was a lot of incoherent yelling at best) while the other was just static with an undercurrent of _amIdreaming_ and _thishastobeajokeright?_ because your soulmate had the weirdest sense of humor on the fucking planet and it would be just your fucking luck if this turned out to be some kind of weird Jumin-esque prank.

Unfortunately, your brain defaulted to basic motor skills so talking was probably a little beyond you at that point. You didn't dare look Jumin in the eyes because for all you knew you'd start laughing hysterically or something because you couldn't deal with this sudden onslaught of feelings. A growing part of you was pissed that Jumin Han was able to reduce you to this pathetic and mute puddle of goo. You thought you had been lucky when you missed that stage when teenagers started mooning over their crushes but apparently karma had pulled a BITCH-YOU-THOUGHT in the form of one Jumin Han.

"Cool," you finally managed to say after mustering enough brainpower. Why was this your default response whenever Jumin said something remotely wild? "Can I drive the cart this time?" You were amazed at how calm you sounded when internally your thoughts were in complete disarray.

"It would be irresponsible to drive under the influence. I'll have security take us back." You scoffed as you rolled your eyes because those sips barely equated to a full glass of wine. A few moments passed and you ultimately decided not to argue since you didn't want to end the wine tour on a sour note.

"I could definitely eat," you replied as you stretched out your limbs, pointedly not looking in his direction. Time was needed for you to gather your thoughts and get a firm grip on your feelings. What Jumin had said had definitely startled you and you desperately needed some alone time to process.

Whatever tension had built up between the two of you was slowly ebbing away -- it helped that you weren't looking at him directly. Well, it wouldn't completely vanish because you were definitely still thinking about what he had just said (you were probably going to be thinking about it for the next few weeks if you were 100% honest) but you weren't sure if Jumin had wanted a different reaction. What had he been expecting you to say to _that_? Why would he say something like that in the first place? Was he drunk? No, that couldn't be it seeing as Jumin only had as much wine as you did and he made sure to pace the tour with plenty of water ( _what a nerd_ ). Unless Jumin was somehow the lightest of lightweights, you were pretty certain the man was close to stone-cold sober.

_Flirt you fucking fuck_ , your brain reprimanded you, _now's your chance dumbass what the fuck are you waiting for_? Telling your brain to chill was a lot harder this time around since it felt like your entire worldview of Jumin had just been shaken to the core. Still, if you had been looking for a sign from him that was probably your best one yet. Maybe it was time to try another pick up line.

"Hey, Jumin." You got his attention as the two of you walked outside of the building, preparing to wait for security to take you back to the villa. His face turned to look at you in question. "Can I see your hand? I need you to hold something for me."

For a moment you didn't think it was going to work considering it was one of the cheesiest fucking lines in the book, but much to your astonishment Jumin held out his hand with little to no hesitation whatsoever despite your unusual request. As calmly as you could manage while keeping your facial expression neutral, you slid your hand into his. Keeping your grip loose, you prayed to any deity currently listening that your hand wasn't sweaty and gross. You forced yourself not to immediately pull your hand back as soon as it touched his, resting it there in his grasp as you watched his expression carefully. You needed to see how Jumin would react to this… _if_ he would react at all to this. While you still had trouble reading him, you had gotten slightly better at it the longer you spent time with him. Practice made perfect after all.

His eyes fell from your face to where you hand was holding his, his expression unchanging. You waited for a few heartbeats before immediately doubting yourself. Silence was essentially rejection in your book and you internally cringed at the thought of holding his hand when he _clearly_ didn't want the contact. Pulling your arm back, your breath caught in your throat when Jumin tightened his grip as he minutely nodded to himself as though just coming to a decision. Intertwining your fingers with his, Jumin's eyes sought yours as he stated, "Remind me to schedule an appointment with my nutritionist for you. Your hands are oddly cold and clammy. Are you anemic?"

"It's just…uh…like that sometimes?" Cringing internally, you felt yourself mentally deflate at his response. That certainly _wasn't_ the reaction you were hoping for.

"Have you been experiencing any other symptoms? Perhaps I should call for a doctor…" Jumin continued to question you.

" _Jumin,_ I'm _fine_ ," you grumbled, turning your head so he couldn't see how fucking embarrassed you were. Clearly, you weren't cut out for this flirting shit. You had half a mind to yank your hand out his grasp and walk back to the villa on your own to clear your head. Instead, you flexed your fingers, testing out his grip.

It was stronger than you expected and when he didn't drop your hand when a security guard arrived in the golf cart, you felt something in your chest loosen.

 

* * *

 

You stared unabashedly at your intertwined fingers during the golf cart ride, disbelieving that your shitty line had actually worked. Granted, Jumin was probably starting to think you had a medical condition or something but he was holding your hand so mission fucking success. Jumin's hand was larger than yours and warmer, making his remark a little more justified. His hands were softer than you were expecting but maybe that was because yours were so calloused.

Jumin hadn't let go of your hand a single time even in front of his employees. The fact that he held your hand so freely and unashamedly in front of other people boosted your confidence even though you weren't quite sure Jumin understood what you were doing. Friends could totally hold hands casually so it was possible he viewed it as a platonic gesture of affection. Even though your intentions were romantic, you found yourself not caring so much because he was _actually_ holding your hand. The ride back to the main house was quiet and relatively peaceful as you wondered what was going to be served at dinner. You had nearly forgotten all about Jumin's comment of getting ready for dinner. Did he mean getting dressed up? If that was the case you had virtually nothing to wear since the thought of bringing something fancy hadn't even crossed your mind -- you had imagined a weekend at a farm wouldn't require much other than jeans honestly. You probably should have known better since Jumin never went anywhere without his three-piece suits.

"What did you mean by getting ready for dinner?" You asked again. "I didn't actually bring anything…"

"Everything has been taken care of," Jumin answered and you squeezed his hand in slight irritation, wishing he'd be less vague about this. Jumin's smile widened as he took in your expression. "Your frustrated expression is rather cute. It reminds me of when I tease Elizabeth with one of her toys."

_He called you cute!_ ( **But he compared you to Liz.** ) _Doesn't matter still cute!_

Ugh, this cat weirdo was giving you some intense emotional whiplash. You pouted as you entered the house though you were secretly grateful that Jumin was walking you to the guest room because you were pretty sure you'd just get lost again if left to your own devices. Soon enough you arrived in front of the guest room's door, where the two of you stood awkwardly since Jumin still hadn't let go of your hand.

"Jumin," you spoke up after a decently long amount of time passed.

"Yes?" He answered, eyes not leaving your face.

You blinked at him in disbelief before mischievously asking, "Are you coming into the guest room with me?" You glanced pointedly at your intertwined fingers, even giving squeezing his hand for good measure.

"Apologies," he muttered before quickly letting of your hand and…was that a blush you saw on his face? _Fuck me, that was cute_.

You nearly collapsed after the door shut behind you, wondering how it was possible to feel so damn giddy but emotionally exhausted at the same time. _So that's what it felt like going up a level in flirting_.

Exhausting as fuck but damn well worth it.

 

* * *

 

 

**insoo he licked his**  
**lips and I had  
**a heart attack** **

****

 

**damn you're**  
**a fucking mess**

 

**fuck off**

**isn't flirting**  
**with your soulmate**   
**supposed to be easy??**  
**why is this so hard**  


 

 

**are you sure that you**  
**and your brother**  
**are related?**  


 

**we can't all be stone**  
**cold seducers asshole**  
**some of us are awkward**  


 

**should you really**  
**be texting me rn**  
**aren't you w/ your**  
**soulmate?**  


 

**no we're getting**  
**ready for dinner**  


 

**…is that a euphemism**  
**for something**  


 

**no???????**  
**wait**  
**what the fuck**  
**why is there a dress**  
**in the guest closet??**  


 

**o shit**   
**maybe it’s from one**  
**of his past victims lol**  


 

**shut the fuck up**  
**that's not funny**  
**…**  
**wait wait wait**  
**there's also shoes**  
**in my size**  
**what the fucking fuck**  


 

**wait no way**  
**send pics**  


**(attachment:  clothes.jpg)**

 

**well I mean**  
**it's pretty obvious**  
**what's going on**  


 

**what?????**  
**what's obvious**  


 

**he's probs giving**  
**you clothes to evoke**  
**the spirit of his dead**  
**ex-wife who he obvs**  
**murdered and buried**  
**@ that farm**  


 

**INSOO WTF**  
**he's never been married**  
**why would you say**  
**something like that**  
**what the actual fuck**  


 

**mina**  
**pls tell me you**  
**can't be this dumb**  
**holy shit**  


 

**stop being an**  
**asshole I'm completely**  
**out of my depth here**  


 

**it's a dress for you**  
**to wear to dinner**  
**dumbass**  


 

**…**  
**wait**  
**…**  
**what????**

 

 

**are you sure this guy's**  
**your soulmate he seems**  
**too smooth for you**  


 

**…**  
**is this a date?**  


 

**how the FUCK do**  
**you not know? smdh**  


 

**shut up shut up**  
**I'm dying here insoo**  
**I'm so out of my element**  
**it's not even fucking funny**  


 

**mayb u should have**  
**brought minhwan along**  
**in ur suitcase or something**  


 

**well it's too**  
**fucking late** **_now_ **

 

**you know this makes**  
**a lot more sense now**  


 

**what makes more sense?**

 

**I always thought it**  
**was because you were**  
**never interested in dating but**  
**now I know it's because you**  
**never fucking notice**  
**when ppl are into you**

 

**name ONE time**  
**i dare you**

 

**yoosung**

 

**WHAT THE FUCKKK**  
**????????????????????**  
**no way**  
**you're just fucking with me**

 

**he literally talks about u**  
**all the time it's annoying af**  
**don't you notice how he**  
**gets whenever u**  
**compliment him?**  
**one time he blushed**  
**so hard that dr yeun**  
**told him to get an icepack**  
**cuz he was scaring the clients lol**

 

**…I thought he just**  
**always did that**

 

**nah dude**  
**he's hella crushing over**  
**ur oblivious ass**

 

**insooooo**  
**why did you tell me**  
**tell that???**

 

**hey it got ur mind off**  
**ur soulmate didn't it**

 

**…**  
**I mean I guess**  
**but that doesn't**  
**solve anything**

 

**I guess what I'm trying**  
**to say is not to overthink**  
**ur strategy**  
**some ppl like**  
**ur awkward ass for some**  
**fucking reason**

 

**I hate u**

 

**is it really**  
**going that badly?**

 

**well no**  
**I got him to**  
**hold my hand**  
**but now he thinks**  
**I'm anemic**

 

 

**how does**  
**that even happen??**

 

**I don't know!!!!!**  
**everytime I flirt**  
**he ends up thinking**  
**there's something**  
**wrong with me**

 

**wow you're really**  
**bad at this**

 

Patience wasn't exactly your best skill and all this waiting and trying to decipher what Jumin was really feeling was starting to wear you down. That and you felt completely blindsided by the dress in the closet. You picked it up by the hanger, inspecting the smooth material with your fingers. A part of you wanted to adamantly deny that that Jumin hadn't intended for you to wear it but the attached note read ' _For dinner. -JMH_ '. You couldn't help but admire the handwriting, the perfect match to the one displayed on your skin.

The dress was black which made you wonder if it was just a coincidence or if he had actually noticed that you preferred darker colors. Minhwan had often called your closet utilitarian at best which was mostly because you either wore scrubs or jeans most days. You certainly didn't wear skirts or dresses. Remembering how Jumin had asked for your measurements, you inwardly felt a little disappointed that it hadn't been something ridiculous like a longcat onesie. Him buying you a dress -- especially one that seemed expensive if the cloth was anything to go by -- was definitely _not_ what you had expected. You had been treating this entire thing as a friendly hangout as though it was some joke but maybe that was completely wrong.

Jumin was one of the bluntest people you knew (excluding yourself) so why hadn't he just come out and say that this was a date? Why did he have to frame this as though you were doing a favor for a friend?

You looked down at the shoes, the well-polished leather gleamed under the light. The heel was definitely higher than you were usually comfortable with but it was probably fine seeing as you'd be indoors the entire time.

Insoo was convinced that this was date but you still had your doubts. He didn't know Jumin like you did. For all you knew, Jumin bought clothes for all his friends and insisted that they dress up for dinner.  It didn't help that Jumin had constantly complained to you about the types of women he encountered due to working at C&R or just by proximity to his father.

On the other hand, however, you weren't sure how long you could keep doing this. You had to know if there was ever a chance of there being something more between the two of you.

Sighing, you belly-flopped onto the overly plush guest bed and groaned in frustration. It was going to be a long night.

 

* * *

 

Jumin stood at the dining table adjusting his cufflinks as he tried to hide his anxious anticipation. It had been a while since he had truly felt _excited_ like this. The only moment that came close was perhaps when he presented a new collar to Elizabeth III but that had ended in muted disappointment. Jumin had spent so long convincing himself that the only company he ever needed was that of Elizabeth's but since meeting you it was harder to keep the façade in place. He knew now that he wanted you -- _needed_ you.

He had spent a considerable amount of time choosing the dress. In the end, he had decided on something timelessly elegant. Jumin was rather confident in his choice and truthfully he had been imagining (dreaming) of this moment for days now.

Jumin first heard the click of your heels on the marble floors, committing your steady and unhurried gait to memory. The sound was already starting to make his heart race and he hadn't even seen you yet. He swallowed thickly as you came into view; his eyes greedily devouring every detail. It was at this moment that Jumin gained a better understanding of his father's habit of giving gifts to his paramours. If his father felt even a fraction of what Jumin felt when he saw you wear something he had chosen just for you -- well, perhaps he'd be more lenient with his father's shortcomings in the future.

"It fits perfectly. You look beautiful," Jumin complimented sincerely after he realizing you were waiting for him to break the silence. Somehow the actual sight of you was better than all of his imaginings combined. His eyes lingered on your bare neck -- well, _almost_ perfect. In all of his daydreams, you were wearing a delicate choker necklace but V (and ultimately the magazines) had forced him to delay that particular gift. Jumin hadn't necessarily been pleased but at least now he was able to commission exactly what he envisioned rather than hunting the item down in a jewelry store.

"Thanks," you answered curtly but Jumin took no offense. Remembering his manners, Jumin pulled out the chair for you and watched as you sat down gingerly before stating, "You look…pretty great too."

Jumin smirked, that was definitely high praise from you. You were never the type of person to compliment effusively -- in fact, you were spare with your compliments but it lent a degree of authenticity that marked his interactions with you. He appreciated it after a lifetime of fake praise.

After nodding in acknowledgment, Jumin explained the menu for the evening as well as the wine he had personally chosen to accompany it. He had been delighted to discover your growing taste for it and had been fascinated to hear your perspective. Jumin was happy that the seating arrangement gave him an excuse to admire you in the candlelight (the magazines he had read in preparation had told him that ambiance was remarkably _crucial_ for a date). Mentally, he praised the Home  & Garden magazine that had cautioned against large centerpieces -- the short candles let him stare into your eyes without obstruction.

"Where's Phil and Liz? I didn't see them on my way here." You seemed relaxed in your chair but there was a tension to your shoulders that Jumin noticed. Mistakenly, he thought it was your concern for the cats.

Jumin smiled reassuringly. "I fed them as you were getting ready -- they're likely lounging in the second parlor as we speak."

"Doesn't it get…lonely with all this empty space by yourself?" You asked as Jumin placed the glass of wine in front of you, it was an excellent Bordeaux red that he had picked up on his last trip to France. "I could fit my entire apartment in here several times over."

"I suppose I don't notice it very much since I'm used to it," Jumin replied after allowing himself a short pause to consider the question. It slightly disconcerted him how quickly you were able to get to the heart of the manner. Of course, Jumin usually came to the vineyard to escape the loneliness of the city but even so it still managed to follow him here on occasion.

 

But that didn't matter anymore, you were here now and Jumin was never letting you go.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> your comments keep this story running y'all.


	14. XIV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the cray vacay part four ft. actual human disaster mina cho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god i still fucking love this man

You were sweating fucking bullets from the realization that this might actually be a fucking date. Most of it was because you felt woefully unprepared for this -- at least the last time you had a date you had enough time to mentally prepare but you had been completely blindsided by this. After all, what kind of man would want to date someone who regularly called them _weirdo_?

Deeply thankful for the ever-present wine, you quickly knocked back a glass despite knowing it wasn't the politest thing to do. You forced yourself not to immediately guzzle down a second glass, knowing that being drunk would only make you feel better about the situation but not actually improve it. Though it seriously didn't help that Jumin diligently kept filling your glass. It also didn't fucking help that he looked amazing like usual, but you were somewhat glad that Jumin hadn't strayed from his usual three-piece getup. It seemed that you were building a tolerance for the way he dressed. Needless to say, if this was a date this was miles above the other one but also a thousand times more nerve-racking. You knew that you should probably say something even though it was so much easier to just keep drinking in this somewhat tense silence. Jumin was never one to talk excessively and on previous get-togethers, it wasn't all that uncommon for both of you to just be…silent. It had never really bothered you before but right now you felt the bizarre fear that you were boring him.

"Got to say this is the most dressed up I've ever been just to eat dinner." You gave Jumin what you hoped resembled a conspiring smile instead of an angry-nervous grimace. "Most of the time I'm in sweatpants."

"Sweatpants?" Jumin tilted his head slightly. "I had considered ordering a pair for when I work in my private garden but it was too strange. Perhaps I would have greater success with a bespoke pair."

"I'm sure it looked fine," you responded dryly though a smile was threatening to escape you because the mental image of Jumin Han hunkered over a flowerbed in sweatpants and wide-brimmed hat gave you a lot of amusement. "You're annoying enough to look good in everything…wait, does this mean that you don't own any sweatpants at all? What the hell do you wear to relax in?"

Jumin looked confused by the question. "I am the most comfortable in my suits."

"But you don't sleep in them…right?" You asked, almost terrified to know the answer. Just the thought of sleeping in something so restrictive was making you cringe.

"On occasion. Due to the nature of my work, I've realized that it was more efficient to sleep in a variety of places, gaining rest wherever I can." Just when you didn’t think Jumin could get any weirder…but strangely this topic of conversation was actually making you feel a little better. Jumin and you might be in completely different leagues but at the end of the day, at least you were both giant weirdos together. At least now you knew the real reason Jumin always looked so fucking put together all the time -- he slept in three-piece suits. He apparently just rolled out of bed looking that immaculate.

"…That's actually a little terrifying not going to lie," you deadpanned.

Jumin raised an eyebrow. "My suits have even become a source of comfort to me; I've been wearing them since I was a child."

"Back the fuck up, really?" Your voice was louder both in surprise but also likely due to the wine. "And the fact that I actually believe you is crazy." The idea of a young Jumin Han wearing his perfectly pressed suits was not nearly as absurd as it should have been.

"It was a nuisance to pick out ties, I admit. I often had my nanny choose for me. It's a problem I still face now," Jumin sounded genuinely annoyed and a part of you strangely empathized since you hated picking out clothing.

 _Rich people really are fucking crazy_ , your brain helpfully noted since this entire thing was borderline ridiculous. "Have you ever not worn suits?"

"I believe I did wear overalls once as a child." You began _shaking_ with laughter, the mental image of Jumin in overalls was extraordinarily hilarious. Jumin smiled widely at your response. "I didn't mean to make you laugh but I'm glad you're amused."

"Sorry." You tried to calm yourself so you could speak again. "It was probably pretty lucky that we didn't meet as kids." From what you understood, Jumin had probably been remarkably rigid and uptight as a child and considering how hot-headed you had been…the resulting collision probably would have been nuclear.

"What were you like as a child?" Jumin asked as though trying to piece together something.

"A smartass with a temper," you answered with a smirk. "And a little bit of a troublemaker. It wasn't really my fault, mind you, but my brother has a habit of writing checks his mouth can't cash so I would be the one to bail him out. Definitely drove my mom crazy."

"You don't believe we would have gotten along as children?" Jumin asked seriously.

"I can't say for sure but I really don't think so." You shook your head firmly. A part of you was pretty certain that your younger-self probably would have picked a fight with him. "Not unless you let me pet Liz or something."

"So you would have only befriended me for my cat?" At least Jumin looked amused rather than offended.

You shrugged. "Yup, guess I'm shameless like that."

It really didn't help that in the back of your mind you were imagining a kid with Jumin's eyes and your hair. And if you knocked back a few more glasses a lot faster than what was strictly polite, well, at least Jumin didn't say anything.

 

* * *

 

He noticed you shiver and Jumin internally scolded himself for not considering this fact. The wine cellars were chilly especially this time of year and there was no heat source down here so as to not interfere with the wine bottles that were stored down here for safekeeping.

"Are you cold?" He asked before smoothly removing his blazer and settling it on your shoulders. Jumin hoped that it would be enough to stave off the chill but he would make sure to finish this quickly so he could get you back to the warmth of the fireplace.

"Uh, thanks," you responded. He smiled as he watched you pull his blazer closer to your body -- it would likely smell like you later. While it should have bothered him to see you in it considering that it was rather ill-fitting, it still seemed to suit you somehow. His eyes then caught your own which seemed as though they were glowing in the soft light emanating from the lamp -- there was something so enthralling about having you look directly at him like this. You looked at Jumin as though you could see everything about him -- not just his expensive clothing or his handsome face but also his ugly, tarnished side. The threads that were tangled and choking his lungs and heart ever so slowly. You looked at him and saw him -- truly saw him -- and didn't look away. He felt the back of his neck grow hot and his heart clenched pleasantly. Jumin broke eye contact first, thankful that the dim lighting of the cellar prevented you from seeing him blush. Not that he wanted to hide from you but he felt…embarrassed. It was harder to keep track of his emotions when he was with you; oftentimes it bordered the edge of overwhelming and a part of him was worried. He had kept his feelings under control for so long and to have them suddenly inundate his thoughts was troublesome. Especially when some of those thoughts combined with his overwhelming feelings resulted in musings that were…inappropriate, to say the least.

Jumin mentally shook himself and forced himself to concentrate on the task at hand. He quickly selected two different vintages of ice-wine that he believed you would enjoy based on your opinions of the wine-tasting tour, taking care to wipe the bottles free of dust before cradling them in one arm as he used his other hand to gently guide you along by the small of your back. It was respectful, he told himself, even if not all of his intentions were…pure. He admitted to himself that he wanted to hold you closer, to feel your warmth against his own, but he refrained. He was raised to be a gentleman even if some of his father's teachings tended to conflict the manners he'd learned from his etiquette lessons.

"This reminds me of a story Soojin had me read once." Your voice broke the comfortable silence that had settled between you both. "Especially since this place looks creepy as fuck."

"What story?" Jumin asked, genuinely curious.

"Cask of Amontillado. Are you sure you're not secretly dragging me down here to imprison me here forever?" You asked with a faint smirk, your voice obviously teasing.

Jumin swallowed. Sometimes you were far more perceptive of him than Jumin was completely comfortable with but still…he wondered about your reaction. "Is that what you want? I'm sure the landscaper may have a few bricks lying around."

He felt your laughter before he heard it. "Maybe not in the cellar but I wouldn't mind staying at the vineyard longer. It's beautiful here -- I can see why you like visiting. There's a peace here that you don't really get in the city."

"I come here often when particular details get overwhelming." Visiting his farms was a source of peace for Jumin -- often coming here when it felt like he was overburdened with business obligations. He felt like he could breathe in this space far from the city.

"So it's like your own little oasis, huh? I can understand that. I have one my own -- it's not as fancy as yours but maybe…maybe I'll show it to you someday...if you want?" Your voice sounded hesitant to his ears and Jumin wanted to wipe away whatever doubt you had in your mind.

"I would like that," Jumin stated firmly as he was eager to learn more about you, "I would like that _very_ much."

You smiled at him, it was a little shier than the others he had seen from you but no less precious. A part of him wanted to bottle this feeling -- the feeling that would spread through Jumin when he knew he was the cause of your smile. Undoubtedly he'd make an enormous sum selling it but an even larger part of him knew that he would never bear to part with it. He was greedy that way, Jumin was starting to realize. Perhaps he had never truly understood greed until he found something that he truly desired -- a relationship with you. To have you by his side just like now but always. It was a heady thought, a daydream skimming reality.

 

* * *

 

"Let's make a toast," you abruptly stated as soon as you were situated on the couch in front of the fireplace. Jumin's blazer was still around your shoulders as you sat back comfortably while he busied himself with opening another bottle. The two of you had actually been drinking for a while, pausing as the first bottle ran out. You admired the way he looked like in the firelight, the parlor (which you were certain was just a fancy word for living room) was dimly lit and you were glad because it let you stare at him without being horribly obvious.

"A toast?" Jumin was smiling which bolstered your confidence.

"Yeah, don't people do that with expensive-ass wine? Make toasts and shit?" You raised your eyebrows. Then again, you and Insoo made toasts with cheap-ass soju so maybe that wasn't the greatest line of reasoning.

"Very well, what did you have in mind?" Jumin stated as finished pouring two glasses. He made his way to the couch, positioning himself within an arm's length as he handed over the glass.

He watched as you thought it over for a few moments before you raised your glass. "A toast to finding each other and becoming friends. Congrats, cat man, you've made it to level 3." You gave him a wide smile ready to clink your glass with his but when you looked at his face, you noticed that Jumin was actually… _frowning_.

Puzzled, you immediately ran through what you had said trying to see if there was anything that struck out to you. But you came up with absolutely nothing seeing as you were just edging the line of tipsy and you were pretty certain that you hadn't said anything completely whacko yet. As you were muddling through what could have upset him, Jumin gently plucked the wineglass from your hands and set it down on the coffee table.

You nearly gasped when Jumin took ahold of your hand, gently clasping it with both of his. "Mina, I have not been entirely truthful and I feel that a large portion of our relationship has been stunted due to this lack of honesty. This ends _now_. I must admit that I invited you here with selfish intentions." Selfish intentions? Of course, it was selfish, he asked you here as a favor. "I have been told that I am a selfish man, Mina, and I have never wanted anything as much as I desire to have you by my side. I am fully prepared to do whatever it takes to keep you by my side. _Forever._ "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your face and mind were blank with shock (though an annoying voice that sounded eerily like Insoo was chanting ' _I fucking told you so_ ' in your skull) while your body was taut with tension. Time was moving arbitrarily, you couldn't tell if whether seconds or hours passed before you finally responded.

"Cool. That's…super, uh, cool. Wow. Uh." _Speak real fucking words, god-fucking-damn it._ "That's like a really long time, though. You sure?"

Jumin nodded seriously. "Yes, I am certain. I don't take these decisions lightly."

"Cool. C--" Didn't you know any other fucking words besides cool? "Awesome. Wow." Was your face twitching?

"Mina, are you alright?" He was still holding your hand and your mind scrambled to say something to ease his worry.

"I'm feline fine now that I have you." _Where the fuck had that come from?_

"Mina?" Jumin pressed, leaning slightly closer with concern on his face. By now you realized that you hadn't really responded to what he said in regards to your feelings on the matter and you tried your best to fix that mistake.

"Uh, I like you furry much?" _Why was that a question?_ The only sane part of your brain was demanding a tactical retreat pronto because your awkward ass was making this so much worse than it really needed. Why was it so hard for you -- _just say something normal._ "Whoa look at the time! I'm like really thirsty and a tall glass of water would super hit the spot so I'm just going to leave to the bathroom."

Not your greatest choice of words but you'd say practically anything to get the fuck out of this room and somewhere else where you couldn't speak with your foot in your mouth. Your words had definitely confused Jumin which was probably the only reason you had managed to yank your hand from his grip and get to your feet in one semi-smooth motion. You'd actually managed to get away for a few steps before karma got your ass for trying to run away from an awkward situation.

"Fuck!" It really would just be your luck to fall from those damn heels now of all times though you were thankful that it hadn't happened on the cellar stairs because that probably would have been dangerous. As it was, however, you were currently sprawled out on the floor in an embarrassing manner with shooting pain resonating from your ankle. You weren't even drunk for fuck's sake (definitely buzzed though) but those dumb ass heels Jumin had given you brought you down. Now you were kicking yourself for wearing them instead of something more comfortable.

Jumin had rushed to your side as soon as you had fallen, which was nice of him though you still felt overwhelmingly humiliated. "Are you alright?" Jumin asked with concern. "Where does it hurt?"

"I think I might have twisted my ankle," you responded with a sigh -- thank god, it seemed like your mouth was finally working normally. "It should be fine with some ice. I don't wear heels pretty often and I probably pushed my luck."

Jumin nodded. "Next time I'll make sure to buy a lower heel."

"Next time?" You echoed dumbly, your pain was completely forgotten for the moment.

Jumin's brow furrowed in confusion. "It is my understanding that a successful date will result in a subsequent second date. At least that was what W Magazine had stated in the article that I read."

Your jaw dropped in shock. "That's…" _Jumin had read a women's fashion magazine just to prepare for this dinner?_ "Uh, not wrong." Jumin really thought this was a successful date and that you hadn't just fucked everything up by trying to run away?

"Do you need assistance getting up?" Jumin asked softly.

You nodded, still processing what Jumin had so casually mentioned. So lost in your thoughts that you didn't expect Jumin to gather you up in his arms and effortlessly lift you off the ground instead of just offering you a hand. Startled, you clutched the collar of his shirt bringing you closer to his chest.

"Jumin, what the hell are you doing?" You finally managed to ask, trying not to comment on the fact that you could feel his hand on your bare thigh. The skirt of the dress had ridden up as a result of the movement.

"It would be unwise to put weight on your ankle. Allow me to take you to back to the guest room so we can properly elevate your foot and ice it," Jumin answered matter-of-factly as though holding you in a bridal carry was a common day occurrence.

"Jumin--" You were about to protest when Jumin started walking towards the guest room and you got the feeling that he would be incredibly stubborn about this. Sighing, you merely threatened, "If you drop me I'm kicking your ass with my other foot."

Jumin gave a soft hum. "What a foolish thought. As if I would let you go long enough to drop you."

Your face burned red-hot. _What the hell happened to my cat weirdo? When the fuck did he get so smooth?_ "How are you so good at this? It's totally un-fucking-fair."

"Good at what?" Jumin asked.

"All this… _romance shit._ I feel so out of my depth here -- I have no idea what I'm doing." Okay so maybe you were grumbling and sulking but you were well within your rights. Never in your wildest imaginations would you consider Jumin to be such a…romantic and while it pleased you greatly -- there was still a small part of you that had been wishing that he'd be more awkward about it like you.

"I spent a considerable amount of time researching and preparing. Assistant Kang was useful in the endeavor and helped me finalize the setup and menu for dinner." His response was characteristically serious.

There were so many things that you probably weren't going to ask about. Like the fact that Jumin had apparently researched for this (though that wasn't odd considering what you knew of Jumin, just that it was weird to think about) or that Jaehee had helped plan your first date with Jumin. _Your first date with Jumin_ \-- even repeating those words in your head sounded fucking surreal.

"Well, I guess you got what you wanted then," you spoke up since the silence was starting to feel…tense. Not necessarily awkward but you felt like you a needed a distraction from what was actually happening or you might spontaneously combust. "You're putting me to bed just like you said. Though I didn't think you'd go so far as to carry my ass there. At least I'm not passed out I guess."

Jumin glanced down at you and from this viewpoint, you admired the length of his eyelashes and the angles of his cheekbones. He seemed to pause and blinked slowly as though processing what you just said. "I had no intention of just leaving you on the floor. In a way, this situation is my fault; I should have chosen better shoes."

"It's not like you went out and tripped me," you replied with a laugh. "I haven't worn a heel this high since that time I went shoe shopping with Minhwan and bet him he couldn't handle six-inch stilettos."

"You and your brother are rather close," Jumin noted.

You nodded, thankful for the distraction. "He was my first friend as lame as that sounds. I mean don't get me wrong he can drive me up the fucking wall sometimes but he's family, you know?"

"I understand," he calmly responded. His low voice was extremely soothing to hear so you were glad that the pain from your ankle prevented you from falling asleep in his arms. "My father and I don't necessarily agree on everything but our relationship still remains loving."

You weren't sure how to reply to that. While you were glad that Jumin and his father seemed to have a good relationship, a lot of the details Jumin had let slip over the past few months (as well as the plethora of gossip that seemed to surround Chairman Han) led you to believe that Jumin's father wasn't as great as he thought. You wondered how the older Han would react if he discovered his son's soulmate was some common woman who utterly lacked any lady-like refinement whatsoever. "Well that's family for you I guess."

"Do you have a good relationship with your parents?" Jumin asked.

You thought the question over carefully. "It's better now. My mom and I tend to aggravate each other but since I moved out things have calmed down." Tactfully, you decided to leave out the part where your mother was constantly asking when you'd get married. You were tipsy but not stupid.

Stamping out the disappointment you felt as Jumin carefully set you on the guest bed, you lied back on the pillows with a sigh. You couldn't help but flinch as you felt Jumin's hand on your foot, nearly kicking him until you realized that he was removing your heels for you. Your mouth was dry as you watched his nimble fingers gently remove them though you couldn't help but wiggle your toes as you sighed in relief. Heels were fucking death traps, honestly. He was especially careful with your injured foot, making sure not to aggravate it any more than necessary. You watched silently as Jumin settled pillows underneath your foot to elevate it properly before asking, "Is there anything else you need? I'll go retrieve the ice."

You blinked a couple times, hoping it wasn't super obvious that you had just been staring at him the entire time. "A glass of water would be nice."

"Are you sure you don't want it examined? I can call--"

"Dude, chill. I might not be a doctor for humans but I can tell my ankle's just sprained. Icing it tonight will make a huge difference."

Jumin frowned and you were already predicting that tomorrow morning he might actually have someone delivered to the vineyard just to check out your ankle which was sweet but also a little annoying because you'd know if your own fucking ankle was broken, _damn it_. Nevertheless, Jumin nodded and left the room with hurried purpose. Waiting until you couldn't hear his footsteps, you gingerly stepped off the bed wanting to change into something more comfortable. Hobbling over to your duffle bag was annoying but you managed to get the dress off without too much fuss. Slipping an oversized t-shirt over your head was doable but just as you were fishing out some shorts from your bag, you heard the telltale creak of the door opening. You froze, overly conscious of the fact that you were awkwardly bent over and that whoever just walked in probably got more than an eyeful of your ass. Granted your ass was hot as fuck but you were having trouble remembering what underwear you were currently wearing (god you fucking hoped at least that it was nice). Internally screaming, you slipped on your shorts as quickly as possible without hurting yourself even more before turning around in this weird hopping motion.

You raised an eyebrow as you looked Jumin up and down. He stood by the door, holding a glass of water and ice-pack completely still as though he was encased in ice. It looked like a stiff wind would shatter him into a million pieces. "You know I thought even rich people knew how to fucking knock." Much to your private glee (okay, maybe not so private), Jumin was blushing. His expression was still like stone, sure, but that was still a blush even if it was light. You put your hands on your hips as you awaited an explanation.

"I apologize. It was never my intention to make you uncomfortable and I forgot myself in my rush to bring the things you needed." It was probably mean of you to like watching him get so flustered but you couldn't help yourself. A flustered Jumin Han was incredibly rare and to your buzzed-self, it felt like hitting the fucking jackpot especially since he had been putting you on the proverbial back-foot the entire day.

If you were sober you probably would have immediately changed the subject, but seeing as you were tipsy, well, your brain had some very different goals in mind. "You know what they say, your highness. Actions have consequences. I'm afraid I can't accept your apology as is."

"It was a grievous error on my part, please tell me how I can reconcile this." He sounded so earnest too, you had to bite your lips to keep from laughing outright.

"Drop your pants." It took all of your drunken concentration not to stumble over your words while keeping your face completely serious.

"Excuse me?" You didn't think you had ever heard Jumin's voice reach that pitch before -- his shock was so readily apparent. Honestly, this was just way too fucking easy.

"You heard me. Drop 'em. You saw my ass, now I get to see yours. Equivalent exchange." Even as tipsy as you were, you didn't actually expect anything. You were kidding and were about to take back what you said because Jumin was holding his body so stiff you were afraid he had somehow contracted rigor mortis while still alive.

"Very well."

You watched dumbfounded as Jumin placed the water and ice-pack on the nightstand and _holyfuckingshitwasthisactuallyhappeningholyfuck._ Momentarily paralyzed, it was as though everything was in slow motion as you watched Jumin's hands travel to his belt.

You lost your nerve as soon as you heard the clink of his buckle. "Wait! It was just a joke like oh my god cat weirdo no one needs to see that." That was a bold-faced lie considering how much you wanted to see but even while tipsy you weren't going to force Jumin into some strange strip show for retribution because that was just fucked up. "I accept your apology!"

"I don't understand. You don't want to see my ass?" _What the fuck was that tone of voice?_

You forced yourself to shake your head vehemently while denying the urge to massage the bridge of your nose. It wasn't entirely false per se seeing as you didn't want to see it under these circumstances. You were also like 78% certain that seeing his underwear would probably render you catatonic right now. So really it was in your best interest to get into bed and pass the fuck out before any more dumb shit left your mouth.

  
Looking away as Jumin adjusted his clothing, you hobble-hopped your way to the guest bed before Jumin got any strange ideas about carrying you. He obviously didn't approve, considering the frown on his face but _tough shit,_ your ankle was sprained not broken for fuck's sake and honestly you had been in worse scrapes. He handed you the glass of water before wrapping the ice pack around your ankle. The cold felt welcome to your throbbing appendage. He stood patiently as you drank it, his gaze ever-intense. You did your best to ignore him but that didn't stop him from fussing with the covers and actually tucking you in. It would have weirded you out a bit more but your hazy-brain was soaking in the pampering. And honestly, if you considered how Jumin treated Elizabeth, this entire thing was probably just par for the course.

"Is there anything else you require?" Jumin asked insistently. "Another pillow or blanket? Is the mattress comfortable enough? If not you can --"

Jumin was being so sweet it was honestly giving you cavities at this point. Unfortunately, your tipsy state didn't lend itself well to expressing your gratitude as you kept responding, "Nah, I'm good."

"Sorry for fucking up tonight," you mumbled feeling like it was your fault that Jumin's perfect date hadn't gone as planned.

Jumin shook his head. "I should have been more careful. V has told me I can be rather…intense and I obviously overwhelmed you with my words."

"Wait? What? That's not why I did that." Not exactly eloquent but your current state was scrambling to at least make that clear to him. "Sorry to burst your bubble, your highness. It wasn't _you_ I was running from." He wasn't completely correct but judging by how you acted today, your insecurities definitely had to be dealt with sooner rather than later. Of course, your inebriated brain was completely incapable of stringing those mental links together so you merely continued, "Can we talk about this in the morning when my brain doesn't feel like mush?"

"You can have anything you want," Jumin murmured softly. And the problem was that you completely believed him.

  _Well wasn't that just fucking dangerous?_

You didn't have a clue how to respond to that, honestly, and right now you didn't actually trust your mouth to say anything intelligent. Being tipsy did help with impulsive actions, however, so you decided to show your appreciation another way.

It was quick; you kissed him very lightly on his cheekbone in a somewhat awkward, stumbling motion before immediately withdrawing. Jumin blinked once and then twice. For a moment you didn't think he was going to react but the resulting smile he had given you was dazzling. And _holy shit,_ when had you ever fucking used the word dazzling to describe a person? It was a gut instinct but you were certain that you had never seen Jumin smile like that before.  You were so stunned by the sight that you didn't immediately react when Jumin's thumb caressed your cheek, cradling your face in his grasp. He was so close; you could smell the wine on his breath and even count his eyelashes if you had the concentration. His touch was confident and firm perhaps even more so since you weren't pulling away. Was he going to kiss you? Your heart sped so fast that it probably could have achieved flight if it left the security of your chest. Your breath was shaky as his thumb swept over your lower lip. Abruptly, Jumin moved; his lips pressed against your forehead and the noise that left you was inhuman (something unholy crossed with a whimper). He pulled back slowly and with reluctance before murmuring, "Good night." Leaving your side and the room with an almost forceful manner.

You groaned as you covered your face with your palms wondering how you could possibly be so happy but also still feel the potent desire to suffocate under all these pillows because that much embarrassment should have killed you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, at least there was always tomorrow.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 400+ kudos and 4000+ hits?? THANK YOU. pls yell at/with me in the comments. i have so many thoughts about this chapter and i wanna hear yours. also, sidenote, if i upped the rating would yall still read or should i just shove all the potential outtakes in a separate companion fic.


	15. XV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the cray vacay part five ft. actual human disaster jumin han AKA you sweep the prince off his feet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya girl is back and i'm still soft af for this cat weirdo

You woke up with a groan, wishing for all you were worth that you could just go back to sleep but that was impossible. Opening your eyes and staring at the ceiling, you gathered your resolve to leave the comfy-ass bed. It was slow going but eventually, you managed to stumble into the ensuite bathroom (keeping most of your weight off your sprained ankle) and woke up completely after a hot shower. Despite the slow start, you actually felt alert as you changed into new clothing before checking your phone.

 

 **Good morning.**  
**I hope you slept well.**  
**Though I suppose by the lack of**  
**response, you are likely still asleep.**  
**They say that women sleep more**  
**than men and though there is**  
**no research to support this,**  
**I'm sure that beautiful women**  
**need even more.**

 

Your eyebrows rose as you read through the texts that Jumin had sent you. Judging by the fact that the earliest text had been sent at an ungodly six in the morning and that it was now nearly nine, he had been awake for a while. Who got up that early on a weekend _willingly_? Maybe the next 'commoner lesson' you'd instill into Jumin would be the art of laziness on a Sunday morning. Sundays were meant for sleeping in and lazing about, not waking up at the crack of dawn and texting your soulmate even if the message was sweet in a weird research-y way. The implication in the words had definitely made your heart beat harder for a few moments. Was this something you'd have to get used to now? God, you sorely hoped you were better flirting through text than in real life.

 

 **Sorry just woke up**  
** & saw this now.**

 

You cringed a little -- that sounded really cold and unfeeling. _No!_ You swore you'd be better at this! Quick, text something smooth right now!

 

 **good morning ^^**  
**thanks for last night**  
**my ankle feels a lot better**  
**I guess you have the magic**  
**touch lol**

 

 

 _Magic touch?_ You immediately regretted sending that text, throwing your phone on the bed in frustration. Maybe you should just give up on trying to be smooth, Jumin would probably understand, right? Not two seconds later, your phone buzzed and you ended up nearly diving onto the bed to check his response.

 

 **I'm glad.**  
**Though just to be safe,**  
**Dr. Li is arriving on the property**  
**at noon.**

 

You groaned in mild annoyance but sighed nonetheless. You had totally called that shit last night and weren't the slightest bit surprised. Yet, you couldn't bring yourself to feel truly annoyed at him. Jumin had the tendency to over-worry especially since he wanted to be 100% certain about everything. It was probably lucky that he hadn't insisted on getting you x-rayed last night.

 

 **you really didn't need to go**  
**to all that trouble but thanks**

 

 **If you're ready, please come**  
**to the dining room. I have**  
**breakfast prepared.**  
**Do you require my assistance?**

 

 **nah I'm good**  
**but pls tell me you ate already**  
**and didn't wait for my lazy ass**

 

 **Don't worry needlessly.**  
**I try to stay on-track with the**  
**schedule outlined by my nutritionist.**

 

Okay, you did feel quite a bit better at that news though you were starting to realize that Jumin talked about his nutritionist a lot. You sincerely hoped that off-hand remark about scheduling you an appointment with them had been a joke but you could never be sure with Jumin. Did the man have a schedule for everything? You found that to be highly likely and wondered if he had anything planned for today. Judging from your extremely brief glance out the window, the weather was looking pretty shitty considering the clouds seemed to threaten rain at a moment's notice.

You were feeling decidedly less on edge today, likely because everything was out in the open now. Jumin liked you _back_ , a concept your mind was still trying to wrap around but nonetheless, it was fact. Sure you definitely wished you had reacted better to his confession last night but it was too late to cry about that mess now. You just wanted to look forward now because the past was full of embarrassing shit you'd rather forget. Still, you felt a grin grow on your face as you limped through the hallway. A part of you was still in awe that you had managed to somehow pull this off. Jumin wanted a relationship with you _and_ you had managed to let him know that the feeling was mutual. Though you were steadfastly ignoring the anxiety that lurked in the outskirts of your consciousness because you were just now realizing you knew fuckshit about relationships. The only example you really had were your parents but the dynamic between you and Jumin was _completely_ different. You shook your head, telling yourself to stop worrying about it. It was like Insoo had said, these things didn't happen overnight. You just prayed that Jumin would be patient with you until you figured out what the big deal was with all this romance stuff.

Triumph filled you as you found the dining room on your first try without having to resort to tracking down a stray housekeeper. Jumin sat at the table with his phone in his hands; you very nearly made it to the table without alerting him to your presence when he looked up suddenly making you jump in surprise.

"Uh…hey," you said, having to force yourself not to wave awkwardly or do something similarly dumb as you sat down. "Sorry for sleeping in."

Jumin shook his head. "Your apology is unneeded. I thought it best to let you sleep."

"Do you usually wake up this early on the weekends?" You asked though you were pretty sure you knew the answer already.

"I find it best to keep my body on a routine," Jumin answered blandly.

"I'm going to show you how to be lazy if it's the last thing I do," you swore, half-serious in your intent. You smirked after a few beats as you realized something else. "I'm pretty sure your nutritionist is going to hate me, by the way."

Breakfast was delivered by one of the on-site maids whose name you didn't recall but you made sure to look her in the eye as you thanked her. You still thought it was weird that Jumin actually had servants but you were determined to stop making such a big deal about the differences between the two of you. The food was indescribably good and the coffee was even better though you did feel a little weirded out that Jumin just watched as you ate. While you were glad that he had eaten already, you did find it a little bizarre that he sat there so patiently without even glancing at his phone a single time. Wasn't he bored? He could have done literally anything else besides just sitting across from you as you devoured this delicious omelet but he apparently found you stuffing your face utterly fascinating. So you focused on your food, overly conscious of not being a slob as Jumin watched you.

Jumin was patient enough to wait until you finished your plate to speak up. "Mina, I have a few questions for you."

"Sure, okay," you responded as you lifted your coffee mug. "Shoot."

"How much of last night do you recall?" Your forehead wrinkled since you hadn't expected that question at all.

"All of it?" You cursed yourself for making that sound like a question. "Everything up until you tucked me in and I fell asleep, I mean." Unfortunately, you were _too_ aware of all the dumb shit you'd done last night. "Why are you asking?"

"I was unsure of how intoxicated you were last night." Jumin paused slightly. "I was concerned that perhaps I presented my desires in an indelicate fashion."

 _Indelicate fashion?_ You fought the urge to rub your temples because sometimes the overly formal way Jumin spoke drove you completely batshit. _Focus dumbass, focus on what he's actually saying_.

"Hold on. Let me get this straight." You set the mug down gingerly, not wanting to accidentally break it in your haste. "You thought I was _drunk_ last night? Drunk enough to forget what you said? Are you _kidding_ me?"

Jumin's expression was carefully smoothed over and void of any emotion. "I wanted to be certain. I…did not want to assume."

If anything, you felt like you were the one that might have taken advantage of him last night as you remembered your whole ' _drop those pants_ ' prank, so his sudden statement was definitely throwing you for a loop.

"Jumin, you didn't take advantage of me. I mean I was pretty shocked about the whole thing but I honestly don't think I would have handled that any differently if we hadn't been drinking." You were fairly certain that it was likely written in your destiny to be an awkward mess regardless of how Jumin confessed his feelings. A frown took over your face as you came to a realization. "We've been pretty shit about this whole communicating thing, haven't we?"

Or at least, _you_ were terrible at it considering the fucking cat puns you used last night to respond to Jumin's confession. God fuck were you ever going to be able to live that down?

"I know that I've been less than truthful. . ." Jumin began.

You shook your head and sighed. "It's not your fault, not entirely. I mean…I've been holding back a lot."

"Is that so?" Jumin looked… _intrigued_ at the notion. His head tilted slightly and it reminded you so much of Phil that you nearly laughed but somehow you held it within.

You quickly took a fortifying sip of your coffee while mentally chanting, _don't be a fucking baby_. "I like you, Jumin. More than I've ever liked anyone." You swallowed thickly before uttering the next word, "Ever." You weren't necessarily a stranger to crushes per se, there had been plenty of people you admired in university but you never felt strongly about them. It was always more of a distant admiration more than anything. But with Jumin was decidedly different - it was tangible in a way that had never been possible before. So close you could almost touch it and it scared you shitless of doing something to, well, _scare him away_. You were never one for bullshit as Insoo was fond of saying and oftentimes that was enough to drive people away or scare them from approaching you in the first place. It might have been a lonely kind of existence if it hadn't been for your friends or your brother. Quickly, you continued knowing that if you didn't say it now it would take you quite some time to finally get it off your chest. "And I'm scared shitless, honestly. I don't know how to do…well, _this_. The extent of my romantic knowledge is literally soap operas and the poetry Soojin manages to sneak by me but that's not real relationship stuff."

"I'm glad." His words shocked you to the core.

You blinked in confusion. "Glad?"

Jumin nodded firmly before producing a stack of papers seemingly from thin air. _What the hell?_ "I must confess to sharing a mutual ignorance on the subject and while research was helpful it was not entirely…satisfactory. There were many questions left unanswered."

"Okay?" You acknowledged with uncertainty, wondering where the _fuck_ this was leading.

"So I took it upon myself to draft a document to best outline my intentions and expectations of this venture."

 _Venture_? Wait. Was that how Jumin referred to your relationship? As a… _business venture_?

You blinked intelligently, unsure how to respond as he passed over the stack of papers, on the front of which the words **Relationship Contract** stared back at you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_What the fuck?_

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

Jumin couldn't quite remember the last time he had felt so nervous about an undertaking before. Signing contracts came as easily as blinking to him but as he studied your expressions as you looked over the document, he wondered if it was possible that he had mis-stepped again.

Jumin needed something more concrete than a verbal contract. Perhaps it stemmed from his own contract with V which they had signed as boys -- the corresponding paperwork he _still_ kept secure in a safe within his own penthouse -- perhaps it stemmed from needing a physical anchor lest he was swept away by these feelings you stirred up in him. Feelings, as Jumin understood them, were overwhelming. He found it easier to put those words to the bonds he shared with his special people. He knew the very existence of this contract was aberrant; _none_ of the magazines had even hinted at such a gesture but Jumin felt it was necessary. He felt as though his words had failed him last night and that this was the best way he could make you fully understand. And he knew with certainty that you would and perhaps that was more instinctual than rational but he could no longer hold his feelings back. The thought of which was almost laughable now as the memories of yesterday replayed in his head, his attention to detail missing almost nothing.

He felt a harsh pang of disappointment as you quickly skimmed through the document with what seemed to be disinterest…perhaps he had been mistaken? A frown was quickly growing on your face as you got further through the stack.

"Are the terms not lenient enough?" Jumin asked with concern. He thought he had managed every inevitability. Granted, he had spent most of the night drafting the document so it was entirely possible he had missed something in his haste. But in truth most of the words had come rather easily to him -- likely the easiest contract he had ever drafted in his _life_. Jumin was absolutely certain about what he wanted -- that had _never_ once changed -- but he was well aware that he needed to make an offer that you simply couldn't refuse. The terms were generous (though, perhaps he hadn't been clear enough about just _how_ generous) just for the simple condition that you stay by his side. Jumin would give you the moon and place the world at your feet if that was what it took to have you. He would wait until the oceans dried and the world turned to ash if it meant he would have you.

Jumin moved to take the stack of papers from you, _clearly_ , he had introduced some grave errors in his hurry last night; such green-eared mistakes that a seasoned businessman like himself really shouldn't have made. "I can redraft the document--"

You shook your head, holding the papers away from his reach as you continued reading. "Uh-uh. I'm reading this all the way through before we talk about this."

 

* * *

 

 

This…was a lot to take in. The contract was exceedingly professional-looking despite its topic. You wondered how much time Jumin had spent drafting it and you were hoping, no, _praying_ to any deity listening that no one else had seen this. It was bizarre certainly, but also…exceedingly private. You thought back to when Jumin had given you emotional advice which had used a business analogy. Perhaps, Jumin just always thought of such things as though they were an extension of business? And the strangest fucking part of this entire thing was that you were actually _touched_ by the gesture no matter how weird it was. Jumin really did want this to work; though, you couldn't help but think it was really lucky that you hadn't immediately thrown the contract back into his face. You were fairly certain that plenty of other women would have done so. Fuck, what the hell did that say about you?

 _We really are a matching set_ , you thought to yourself. _A couple of mismatched weirdos no doubt._

But as you continued to thumb through the papers, you felt a sinking feeling in your gut as your eyes raced across the words. Pursing your lips, you decided to wait to say something until you read it all the way through. Maybe even twice for that matter. You weren't great at reading legalese but you could make do if you concentrated enough and kept your cool. Patience wasn't something you had a ton of unless the situation demanded it and it clearly did in this situation considering how fragile and new your relationship was.

 _Holy shit_ , you were in a relationship now. How the _fuck_ were you supposed to explain that to Minhwan?

You shook yourself lightly, telling yourself to focus. You read through it again, slowly. Going as far as to mouth the words to yourself to make sure that you didn't miss a single detail. After you were done, you considered stalling to read through it again for a third but you dismissed that notion after telling yourself to woman the fuck up already. Taking a deep breath, you steadied yourself. Using this as a means to explain his feelings was definitely strange but you couldn't fault Jumin for it, considering how little he seemed to open up in the first place. If Jumin really felt the most comfortable addressing relationship shit in this context, what was the harm in that?

Jumin, noticing that you seemed done with your perusal of the document, decided to ask, "Are the terms unsatisfactory?"

"Uh…yeah." And that was just putting it lightly. "I want to…renegotiate the terms."

Jumin nodded. "I see. And which terms do you wish to discuss?"

"All of them," you replied without hesitation, noting how Jumin stiffened at your response.

"Please just allow me to re-draft the contract and make the terms more generous--"

"That's just the problem, Jumin," you interjected, crossing your arms. "The terms are too fucking generous."

He blinked; his face was still and you wondered if this was the mask he wore in conference rooms and business meetings. It stung a little that Jumin was so reserved in his emotions -- it made you want to pull out the man you had found during your impromptu pillow fight or the crazy golf cart ride. After reading the contract (twice), you couldn't sign the damn thing with a good conscience. A part of it scared you, honestly, how easily Jumin was willing to give you anything especially since he had the power to do so. Jumin was never one for empty promises, after all. The man did what he said and had proven that at every turn since you've met him. The fact that Jumin was so readily willing to give you so much power over him concerned you greatly. Sure you'd known each other for a few months now but _still_. There was also the fact that you didn't want those things from Jumin anyway. All you wanted was, well, _him_. The cat weirdo that knew nothing about commoner food or technology. The guy who was a bratty drunk and read women's magazines to plan dates.

"I don't understand," Jumin spoke, his voice rough with emotions buried too deep for you decipher.

"I've said already but I'll say again until you get it through that royal head of yours. I don't give a shit about what you can give me. None of that matters to me, _alright_? In fact, if I didn't like you so much the whole rich thing would have been a huge turnoff for me." You allowed yourself to pause a little and glanced at Jumin's face to see that he was at least listening to you so that was something. "I just want us to be…" Your mind raced as you tried to think of the best word to fit there. "Partners. Exclusive partners. I don't need dresses or shoes or even fucking gelato. I just want. . . I look forward to hearing your voice after work every day even if you're just complaining and when you don't return my calls I get anxious and crabby. I like spending time with you even if it's just watching dramas and eating fried chicken. I…I think I need you, Jumin."

Your heart was going batshit crazy after that last sentence -- you doubted that you had ever said anything so vulnerable in your entire life let alone to someone who you'd only known for a few months. Still, just stating the blunt truth so shamelessly felt good. Especially since you hadn't devolved into puns or worse. So you sat there, face flushed and heart pounding as you stared at your soulmate while letting out a deep breath.

It was lucky that you were looking right at him otherwise you might have missed how quickly Jumin reached for you (almost as though he was afraid of you disappearing the very moment he touched you). His touch was firm as he held your face and his eyes, holy fuck, his eyes. You were pretty sure that the entire fucking vineyard could have been on fire and you wouldn't have even glanced away because of how magnetic his gaze was. 

And when your lips met, it felt like coming home.

 _Fucking finally_ , your brain chimed unhelpfully. Your hand moved up to grip the crook of his neck so that you could steady yourself because this kiss was leaving you absolutely breathless.

"You have no idea how badly I wanted to do that last night," Jumin murmured when he finally broke away.

"Why didn't you?" You asked with feigned annoyance. "I think I deserved a better good night kiss than _that_."

Jumin chuckled lowly, the sound striking you to the core. "I doubted I would have stopped at just a kiss."

You hummed in agreement. "I don't think I would have stopped you."

" _Mina_ ," Jumin hissed lowly.

"What?" You replied in mock innocence, batting your eyelashes. "You honestly think I haven't thought about kissing you like that?" You felt the way his pulse skipped a beat underneath your palm and satisfaction flared within you with the knowledge that _you_ had caused that.

"Of course," Jumin replied after his heartbeat steadied a little, "don't all peasants dream of kissing princes?"

" _Jumin_ ," you responded with a scowl.

Jumin laughed again but a little more freely this time, the sound bringing a wide grin to your face. You got the feeling that Jumin didn't have much reason to laugh which made you all the more determined to make happen more often. "Perhaps I have it wrong. They kiss frogs hoping for princes, don't they?"

"You've been watching too many soap operas," you deadpanned but were unable to keep the smile off your face. Your grin quickly grew mischievous. "Besides, why the fuck would I need to kiss a frog for? I already found my prince."

The smile you received in return was small but its brilliance outshined _diamonds_.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> most of yall were in favor for upping the rating. so pls speak now or forever hold your peace.
> 
> comments keep this show running, folks. love to hear your thoughts as always.


	16. XVI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the cray vacay part six: zen attempts to cockblock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i still stan one (1) man

 

"Mr. Han?" A voice called and the sound of footsteps followed; you nearly jumped out of your skin, realizing that someone could have seen you in such a… _compromising_ position. Jumin was slower to move away as a maid entered the room. "Dr. Li has arrived; he's currently in the second parlor room." 

"I see he's arrived early," Jumin murmured, slightly perturbed by how quickly you had moved away from him. "Very well. It's better to have your injury checked sooner than later."

"Thanks!" You addressed the woman a little too loudly (damn it, you really needed to start remembering people's names), trying to act cool and not like you were canoodling with her boss. "We'll be right there!"

Also, second parlor room? How many fucking parlors did _one_ person need? You shoved that thought as far down as you could, before settling on a neutral expression. A part of you bristled in irritation at the fact that Jumin had called an actual doctor just to check out your sprained ankle but you let it go. It likely wasn't going to take more than twenty minutes and if that was enough to assuage Jumin's worry, you'd grin and bear it. Well, maybe not grin per se, but you'd bear it. (You were definitely going to kick up a fuss if his royal highness got so much as a splinter, you swore it.)

Dr. Li was a kindly older man, likely someone's grandfather, and you felt a rush of guilt since Jumin had dragged him here on a _Sunday_. Surely there had to be a law against this, right? He introduced himself warmly but still professionally as you fidgeted on one of the seats in the parlor with your leg propped up.

"Well, what's the prognosis, Doc? Am I gonna live?" You asked dryly as the older gentlemen finished his inspection of your ankle. All the while, Jumin hovered silently in the background reminding you so much of those parents who'd jump whenever their children would get so much as a stubbed toe.

The man tittered. "I'm afraid you'll be with us for a while yet, my dear. The ice did much to reduce the swelling and the sprain isn't very severe."

"Is there anything else you recommend?" Jumin spoke up for the first time in the last twenty minutes.

"A few days of rest, compression and more ice should do the trick." Dr. Li closed his bag with a snap. "Massaging it should also help with the pain but ibuprofen will be fine. Do make sure to stay off it for a few more days, over-exerting it will only make things worse. Is there anything else?"

"Nope! That's all." During the appointment, your guilt about Jumin bringing Dr. Li had persisted. "Thanks for making the journey out."

Dr. Li smiled. "It's my pleasure. I've been serving the Han family since Jumin was a child."

Your eyebrows rose in surprise. Jumin's family had a doctor on call? "Do you have any embarrassing stories you'd like to drop before you go?"

"Mina," Jumin responded in a tone that you were growing a bit too familiar with.

Dr. Li merely laughed wholeheartedly. "Not much more than the occasional cold, I'm afraid."

"No broken bones? Terrible acne? Embarrassing scars? C'mon doc I need _something_ to work with here."

He merely shook his head, still full of mirth. "This one will keep you on your toes, Jumin. I'm afraid I'll have to take your leave, then. I have business to attend to back in Seoul."

Both of you said your goodbyes to Dr. Li before Jumin turned to you and asked," Embarrassing scars?"

You smirked. "Doesn't everyone have them?"

Jumin looked at you skeptically. "But I haven't seen…?"

You gave him a sly look. "Guess I'll just have to drop my shirt next time."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Judging by how rapidly Jumin blinked, maybe you were getting the hang of this flirting shit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

> **ZEN: I can't stop thinking about that woman trapped in his vineyard;;;**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Zen -_-**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: I doubt she's trapped**
> 
> **ZEN: You really think a real woman would agree to go** **_anywhere_ ** **with Jumin Han?**
> 
> **ZEN: He had to have tricked her!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Zen, we don't know anything about this woman except that she's his soulmate**
> 
> **ZEN:** **_allegedly_ **
> 
> **ZEN: allegedly his soulmate**
> 
> **ZEN: Don't you find it suspicious though?**
> 
> **ZEN: He was completely silent about meeting her but now she's suddenly traveling with him??**
> 
> **ZEN: Something doesn't add up!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: It's not we can do anything about it anyways**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: We have no idea where the vineyard is**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Unless you get Seven track Jumin's GPS for you**
> 
> **ZEN:** **_Aish!_ **
> 
> **ZEN: I'm just getting a really bad feeling that the trust fund kid is up to no good!**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: -_-''**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: Zen;;;;;;**
> 
> **Yoosung** ⋆ **: c h i l l**
> 
> **ZEN: That's it!**
> 
> **ZEN:** **_I'm calling him._**

 

* * *

 

 

"Jumin Han!" Zen bellowed into the phone. "What makes you think you have the right to trap some woman in your vineyard, huh?"

"Uh…" Zen blinked as he realized that the voice on the other end of the line was not Jumin Han but rather…a _woman's_ voice. "He's not here right now — can I, um, can I take a message?" He also heard what he believed to be the same woman muttering under her breath, " _I should have let this shit go voicemail_."

Some of Zen's gusto left him; he hadn't been expecting to _actually_ talk to the woman Jumin Han had _supposedly_ stashed away in his vineyard. A large part of him had been hoping that it was an elaborate ruse involving the furball but to hear the actual proof was nearly his own undoing. Still, he couldn't get disheartened! He had made this call with only the purest intentions! His own chivalry demanded it! "Is everything okay? He hasn't done anything strange to you has he?" Zen asked earnestly. "If he's there with you just say 'I'd like extra pepperoni on that'."

"What the fuck," the woman deadpanned. "What in the _actual_ fuck. Who is this? Why the fuck are you prank calling this number?"

"This isn't a prank call!" Zen quickly replied; the conversation was going south far too fast. "This is…this is just a call from a _concerned_ citizen. I know he's supposed to be a rock but things _happen_ when two people are alone."

"What the hell are you implying?" The woman asked bluntly before scoffing loudly. "Concerned citizen? Is that what they're calling it now?"

"I know there's been some misunderstanding but I'm really on _your_ side," Zen pleaded, convinced that this woman had no idea about what she had gotten into. He was envisioning some poor maiden (who slightly resembled Areum) tearfully trapped in the evil clutches of the selfish Trust Fund Kid.

There was a long pause before Zen heard the words: "Yup, I get that."

Zen sighed with relief. Thank god, this woman was _finally_ listening to some sense.

"Hey, Jumin. Some pervert thinks I'm trapped in your vineyard. Should I hang up?"

"Yah! I'm not a pervert!" Zen countered defensively. "Just listen to what I'm saying!"

"Jumin Han." Finally, the jerk was on the line. Zen could finally get this conversation back on track after that wild derailment.

"Hey, you jerk —" Zen began, ready to finally unload.

"Is there something you need? My time is very precious; I don't have time to waste looking into every mirror like you do," Jumin stated as though he was already bored of the conversation.

Zen felt his eyebrow twitch in irritation. That was the number one reason he didn't call the jerk…talking to him in the chat was bad enough in his opinion. "Don't you understand how this all looks on the outside? Even you should be aware of that. You didn't mention this girl even once and suddenly you're taking her on vacation with you?!"

There was a pause and for a moment, Zen nearly believed that Jumin might have actually listened to what he said. "I fail to see to how any of that is your concern. Frankly, I have better things to do than to engage in such indulgent chit-chat. We aren't all paid by each word spoken, of course. Goodbye." _Click_.

"Did that jerk really just hang up on me?!"

The only answer he received was the dial tone.

 

* * *

 

You felt a little…off after that phone call from that _concerned_ citizen. Though by now you were pretty certain that Jumin at least had known who the caller was -- Hyun Ryu really wasn't ringing any bells in your mind. Still, you just felt uneasy from the attention. While you were pretty eager to start dating (holy shit -- dating!!) your soulmate, you couldn't ignore the fact that he came with… _baggage_. Namely in the form of a very persistent and irritating media following. Like it or not, Jumin's celebrity status was technically a part of him even though you were pretty certain that he greatly disavowed it. As soon as they got wind of your connection to Jumin, you were pretty certain that you'd get dragged into it as well.

And as it stood now, you weren't sure if you were ready for that. Hell, you weren't certain you'd _ever_ be ready for that.

"What's wrong?" The sound of Jumin's voice shook you out of your thoughts, making you realize that you had been staring thoughtfully into space. His phone call with that asshole had apparently ended and his eyes were focused on your growing scowl. Eying him carefully, he didn't seem any worse for wear from that phone call especially since the only emotion you could read off of him was slight irritation.

You opened your mouth, nearly ready to deny the fact that anything was wrong or to deflect as you normally would when you forcibly closed your mouth. Hadn't you just told him that the both of you needed to improve on this whole 'communicating' thing? "Jumin," you swallowed back any desire to immediately change the subject, "can you…come here please?" It was probably better to have this conversation with both of you sitting down instead of Jumin standing and staring at you.

Rubbing your palms on your jeans because they were starting to get grossly sweaty, you shifted closer to him so that your knees were touching. Staring at your lap, you wondered how you should start this conversation. Jumin, for the most part, remained silent and rather patient as you gathered your shit. You reached out to grab his hand, feeling some of the tension ease as he intertwined your fingers.

"Mina," Jumin pressed, "please tell me what's on your mind, darling."

You felt like you had just been sucker-punched but in a good way. "Busting out the pet-names, already? You don't play fair Mr. Han."

"A shrewd negotiator uses every tool in his arsenal." His voice had a touch of humor in it but his eyes were concerned.

 _Well, better now than never_. "Can we take things slow? Like really slow?"

"Is that all?" Jumin asked in disbelief as though you had asked for gravel when all he had was diamonds.

You huffed, a little annoyed at his response because you were trying to make this as serious as possible. "I'm talking _glacial_."

Jumin held your hand tightly. "Waiting doesn't bother me. I intend to court you _thoroughly and extensively_."

Fuck, you'd never thought the phrase ' _thoroughly and extensively_ ' would ever be hot but that innuendo was so blatant even your dumb ass couldn't miss it.

"Coo--" You abruptly stopped, you were going to break yourself of this habit, damn it! "There's also something else." Your voice became a little more hesitant because, frankly, you weren't quite sure how'd he react. "I'd like to keep us a secret for just a little bit longer." Jumin's expression didn't immediately change and it was likely only because you were watching it that you noticed his slight frown. Unable to help yourself, you began to ramble. "It's only because the media scares me and I need a little time to get used to all of this and holy shit I don't want to be stalked by paparazzi. I'm like a nobody and I really don't like attention and it has nothing to do with you and…"

"Mina," Jumin interrupted gently. You stopped, clamping down on the rising anxiety. "If this is what you desire, then I have no problem acquiescing to your wishes."

"You don't like it though," you said petulantly. "And it's really unfair of me to ask this of you."

"No more unfair than asking you not to tell anyone when we first met," he countered. "But I must warn you, Mina."

You looked at him, keeping your gaze trained on his silver eyes. "What is it?"

"Once you are ready, the whole world will know you are mine. You have nothing to fear at my side; I will not allow anything to upset you or interfere in our bond." Jumin sealed his vow with a kiss to your knuckles his eyes never leaving yours and you swallowed thickly.

 

 

This asshole really was going to be the death of you and, _fuck_ , what a fucking way to go.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> job hunting is so disheartening :'( pls send good vibes & comments
> 
> fyi, the rating won't be bumped until i write something truly...spicy. it's coming yall, be patient.


	17. XVII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which you romance the pants off of jumin's heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in this house we stan one (1) man....Jumin Han

"Is it just me or is there something… _different_ about Dr. Cho today?" Areum asked idly as she, Yoosung and Insoo stared at the woman who was smiling at the wall. Considering that it was 9:47 a.m. on a Monday and she hadn't even touched her coffee yet, Areum was worried that Dr. Cho might have actually lost it.

"Maybe she's learned how to sleep with her eyes open?" Yoosung suggested.

Areum's eyes widened as she whispered loudly, "You really think so?"

Insoo's smirk was telling and smug, making Areum narrow her eyes slightly in suspicion. He and Dr. Cho were rather close so it was entirely possible for him to know what was going on and it made her so damn curious! "Well, we could do a test to see whether she's actually sleeping…it really wouldn't be good if Dr. Yeun thought she was asleep on the job."

Yoosung's forehead wrinkled. "What did you have in --"

He was cut off when Insoo decided to throw a wadded tissue at Dr. Cho, and the three of them watched in tense silence as the projectile hit the dead center of her forehead. Areum bit her lip, preparing herself for Dr. Cho's inevitable tirade considering how her temper was always considerably short in the mornings let alone on a Monday of all days.

And she waited…and waited. The three watched dumbfounded as Dr. Cho merely looked at the wadded tissue, blinked, and then pulled out her phone.

"You don't think Dr. Cho was brainwashed by aliens do you?" Areum blurted out in alarm. She and Zen had watched a rather strange movie just the other day and it had deeply freaked her out even though she had hidden behind Zen the entire time (though to be fair, the both of them had been trying to hide since it became clear that her boyfriend wasn't one for scary movies either).

Insoo's eyes bulged before he erupted in laughter while Yoosung gave her a strange look.

 

* * *

 

"Was the sex really that good? I saw you limping." You choked on the coffee you had been drinking, sputtering while trying to keep your heart rate under control. Unfortunately, your hacking only made Insoo's shit-eating grin even wider. "I never knew that good dick could brainwash you but I stand corrected."

"I sprained my ankle, dumbass." You punched Insoo in the bicep after carefully putting down the cup, immensely glad that Yoosung had left for class and Areum was off picking up the mail for the office. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"And she's back, folks! The grouch is back!" Insoo announced while rubbing his arm. "You know, you had Areum convinced your brain was hijacked by aliens or something. You'd been staring and smiling at the wall like a nut. Even Yoosung was freaked out when I threw something at you and you didn't do anything."

You blinked as you bit your lip, _how had you missed that?_ "I guess I've just been…distracted. It, uh, went better than expected."

Insoo waggled his eyebrows. "So, what's a guy got to do to get some details? Better than expected? So what? You're dating but he thinks you're dying?"

" _No._ " You scoffed as you rolled your eyes. "I managed to not fuck it up that bad."

"Can't really blame me. I mean you said he only held your hand because he thought you were anemic." Insoo snorted. "Was that before or after you made me think he was going to stash your dead body in the woods?"

"Fuck off," you replied almost amused while hoping that your face wasn't growing hot. "So how was the mixer? Found the one yet?" You asked breezily, hoping to change the subject.

Insoo shrugged half-heartedly. "No dice but better luck next time, am I right?"

You frowned while trying to think of something to say. "You'll meet them," you said confidently, "and I can't wait to give you shit for it when you do."

Insoo cracked a smile and the bitterness faded a little. "I count on it but right now let me live vicariously through you."

Glad to see his mood lifting, you tried to be as blasé as possible. "There's not anything to tell…nothing really happened."

"Nothing happened? Nothing happened? Are you kidding? You were alone together for two days…that's like the longest first date in _history_ ," Insoo questioned, his eyebrow raised.

"Okay, okay, we…uh…we kissed," you confessed quickly, turning your attention to your forgotten coffee trying to fight off the heat you felt on your face.

"You kissed?! On the mouth?!" Insoo gasped in mock-outrage. "The audacity! The impropriety!"

Your face grew hot as you snapped, "Shut up! That's like a really big deal for me!"

Insoo shook his head. "No, it's my fault for getting my hopes up. I forgot that you have the experience of a fourteen-year-old. Was it romantic at least?"

" _So_ romantic." Your voice had a dream-like quality to it. "Like out of one of my shitty dramas _romantic_. I'm so out of my fucking league Insoo."

Puzzled, Insoo replied, "Why do you think that? You're soulmates; as far as anyone should be concerned you're on the same level. Everything else is just noise."

His words startled you. _That was such a simple way to look at things…_

"Uh huh," you said half-heartedly, not fully believing his words. "Anyways we're taking it slow for now."

"So does this guy have a name or should I just keep calling him You-Know-Who in my head?"

"He's not _Voldemort_ , Insoo." You gave your friend a dry look. "And we're still keeping this shit on the DL."

Insoo's brow wrinkled in concern. "Why? I mean it was one thing if you didn't think it was going to work out but you'll have to go public eventually, right? Wait! Is he making you keep this a secret because that's a major red flag…"

You adamantly shook your head. "No, no, it's me. I just don't want to deal with everything just yet." You wanted to at least be able to dwell in that super-happy-honeymoon phase everyone went through at the beginning of a relationship until it became fucked up by other people.

"And he's okay with that?" Insoo asked dubiously, obviously not convinced.

"It's not forever," you defended yourself. "Just for a little bit before I get dragged before God and the media."

Insoo still looked skeptical but he merely stated, "Well okay. Just keep me posted. You tend to get a little… _antsy_ when left to your own devices about this stuff."

"I mean there's one thing I'm kinda worried about," you admitted as you met Insoo's eyes. "We're both crazy busy and I doubt we'll be able to spend that much time with each other especially since I'm usually on-call on the weekends at the vet hospital…"

Insoo snorted. "You live in the 21st century, dummy. Videochat. Text. Call. Hell, leave him a super cheesy voicemail right now. I mean I know it's not exactly the same but you have to compensate somehow for not seeing him every day."

"Cheesy voicemail?" You echoed. The more you thought about it the better it sounded. You were pretty certain that you could be semi-romantic with enough planning.

"Just keep it PG…not sure if Voldedick would appreciate getting sexts at work." 

"Insoo!" You shouted, miserably failing at hiding your blush.

 

* * *

 

"So who do you think he was texting?"

"What makes you think that?" Eunjung asked; Mr. Han's expression hadn't changed at all during the meeting. The meeting had been extremely tedious and she had been on the verge of falling asleep for nearly half an hour. It had been torture, honestly. She had been all too glad that it was over and they were able to stop in the break room for a short moment before continuing their drudgery (well, at least until Assistant Kang found them).

"There are only two reasons why a man looks down at his crotch and smiles." Chinhae leered.

"Gross, Chinhae!" Eunjung wrinkled her nose as she prepared another cup of coffee, dumping in copious amounts of cream.

"You know I'm right." Chinhae looked far too smug. "And the bet is still on since we decided the veterinarian was _just_ a veterinarian."

"You mean since _you_ decided," Eunjung sniped, "we still didn't have all the facts on that one."

"Shouldn't you two be working?" Jaehee asked dryly, looking at the two in disapproval as she entered the room to top off her coffee mug. She had so many new reports to sort through after the meeting, oh joy.

"Assistant Kang!" Chinhae looked at his superior eagerly. "Wouldn't you agree that Mr. Han is acting super weird?"

"Weird?" Jaehee echoed.

"Well, you do have to agree that he's been… _weirder_ than usual. I mean I actually think I saw him smile this morning! That poor intern nearly fainted!" Eunjung nodded in agreement as she looked to Jaehee for confirmation.

Jaehee was starting to feel a migraine coming on. Resisting the urge to rub her temples, Jaehee merely nodded. Come to think of it, Mr. Han _had_ been acting rather strangely. His mood was strikingly light despite the fact that he hadn't assigned any new cat projects. He still continued to talk about the damned cat but Jaehee had noticed that his phone rarely ever left his hand nowadays -- even going as far as to check it during meetings much to her dismay. There was also the matter of the _research_ she had done for Mr. Han for the past few weeks. Collating all the latest women's magazines with nary a cat in sight. The work had been rather bizarre with Mr. Han going so far as to ask her opinion on _centerpieces_ of all things…

She left the room, deciding it better to leave those two to their own devices for now. Jaehee really didn't have the patience for their so-called theories at the moment, especially since she was already certain that Mr. Han's soulmate was a woman. There were occasionally some perks with being in the same group-chat as your boss. Not many but some. Knocking before entering, Jaehee was busy looking at the paperwork in her hands as she began to say, "Mr. Han, here is the proposal from the Tokyo branch --"

Mr. Han was apparently on his cellphone listening very intently to something -- a business-call then -- and Jaehee merely set the report down as he nodded. Even if Mr. Han was acting…stranger than usual, it was good to know that he was still getting work done.

 

* * *

 

"Hi, Jumin! I mean…uh…hey Jumin? It's me. Wait, of course you know it's me, duh. I just wanted to leave you this message because I thought it'd be cute since we're both busy and this way you can listen to my disembodied voice when…uh…you're not busy? _(Shit, why did I explain it like that?)_ Anyways, I hope your day is going great! Like super great!"

Jumin was amused at how easily embarrassed you got. He found the behavior rather…cute.

" _(Ugh, what's something cute to say?)_ Is it weird to say that I kinda miss you? I know it's only been a day and it's kinda dumb but…you know? I'm really glad that we're doing this…Dating. Yea. I think I'm excited for it…either that or it's heartburn. _(Wait. No….he's going to think…fuck!)_ "

Jumin listened as you cleared your throat, preparing to talk again and not for the first time today, he wished that he could just go to you right now. What were you doing right now? How had you sent him a voicemail without his phone ringing? He would have been more than happy to pick up especially if it were you. Still, he found himself rather happy that you were thinking about him during his day just as he was you.

"I just wanted to say thanks for using that favor…even though you and I are definitely going to have a talk about what constitutes as an equivalent favor since we didn't cover in that in the Relationship Contract. Also, are we really getting that notarized? Was that a joke or not? I'm getting better at figuring out your humor but sometimes…" You snorted. "Even now you continue to surprise me. I can't wait to see what other surprises I'll learn about you in the future. I had a really great time spending those days with you and I can't wait until we do it again. Not that I expect you to do that every time we go out! I mean --" You sighed in exasperation before groaning. "I really thought I'd be better at this whole being romantic thing if it was over the phone like this. But it's the thought that counts or is that only for gifts? Whatever! I'll romance the pants off you, count on it. Wait…that's not _exactly_ what…I mean I'll romance the pants off your heart? God, I'm just rambling now…fuck how long _is_ this voicemail? Uh, so…"

There was a small pause where you said nothing until—"Wait, fuck. I forgot you couldn’t hear that. I…uh…blew you a kiss? _(Shit maybe that's better as a gif or something…Wait how do you make gifs?)_ If you have time can you call me later tonight? It'd be nice to hear your voice before I fall asleep…and I'm going to hang up now because I awkwardly made eye contact with someone across the street…Bye Jumin."

Jumin immediately jabbed at the screen, intending to listen to the recording one more time.

Thankfully the number of times he ended up replaying the message was between him and his phone...and possibly Luciel.

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

> **Jumin Han: Luciel, how do you print a gif?**
> 
> **707: lol what**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: (confused)**
> 
> **ZEN: Rich kid is just being a jerkass;;;;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: (rolls eyes)**
> 
> **ZEN: This isn't your private search engine, you know.**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: Wait! You can print gifs???????**
> 
> **ZEN: I wouldn't know…I don't own a printer.**
> 
> **707: but yeah you totally can**
> 
> **707: just the other day I printed an entire video**
> 
> **707: it took a lot of ink…special ink**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: A special kind of ink?**
> 
> **707: yea very expensive had to buy less honey buddha chips**
> 
> **707: :'(**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: wow I had no idea**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: I guess the rich really do have different lives**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: Why do you want to print a gif anyway?**
> 
> **Jumin Han: …**
> 
> **Jumin Han: My soulmate sent it to me.**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: wow that's actually romantic**
> 
> **ZEN: ;;;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: is it something dirty?;;;;;**
> 
> **707: c'mon cat mom…inquiring minds need to know.**
> 
> **707: +_+**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: Dirty? you mean like a…;;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: How the fuck did that jerk get nudes;;;;;;;**
> 
> **ZEN: He's not even in a steady relationship.;;;;;;;;**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: NUDES?;;;;;;;**
> 
> **Yoosung⋆: (blushes)**

 

* * *

"So how was your day?" You asked as you started in on your ramyeon since you'd been too lazy to get takeout on your way home. Phil had been fed and was lazing on your couch which was good since you had your phone propped in up a rather precarious position so you could video chat with Jumin and eat at the same time. Priorities. Glancing at the screen, you nearly snorted when you saw a blown-up image of Jumin's nose. "Babe, you're holding the phone too close to your face."

The image changed almost jarringly, to a more normal view of Jumin though now it was slightly too far away. "Babe?" Jumin asked, even with his weird phone handling you were glad that you didn't miss the smile on his face.

You stuck your tongue out at him. "You're not the only one that gets to use pet-names, your highness. Turnabout's fair play." Grinning nonetheless, you stirred the noodles with your chopsticks.

"Work was fine and the proposal was submitted on time." Jumin seemed to shrug judging by how the camera moved up and down. "What are you eating?"

"Instant ramyeon." You even went as far as punctuating your sentence with a slurp.

Jumin frowned. "I was doing research and I found some rather disturbing studies done about the nutritional value of ramyeon or rather lack thereof."

"Jumin, don't you _dare_ ruin another food for me." You even pouted for good measure. "How am I ever supposed to look at hot dogs again after that article you sent me?"

He merely smirked. "Well, I suppose that means _I_ will simply have to feed you then." Your face felt hot and you were pretty certain that it wasn't the steam from the ramyeon.

"You're my boyfriend, not my babysitter," you quipped dryly.

"I only want what is best for your health, Mina. I intend to keep you by my side for a very long time. Ninety-three years at least."

Your eyebrows rose immediately. "Ninety-three years? Did you just pull that number out of your ass or…?"

"My doctor informed me that it is very likely I will live to be 120 and I have every intention to spend them with you."

Huffing, you realized that you couldn't really argue with Jumin based on that logic. Suppressing a groan, you merely replied, "You make it really hard to argue, you jerk."

God even his smirk was annoying as it was hot. If Jumin bought you a Fitbit next you were going to have to do something drastic… "How was your day?" Jumin asked, cutting your train of thought. "I found myself curious about what you were doing during random moments of the day. Especially after the voicemail you sent me."

"Oh… _that_. That was actually Insoo's idea," you said sheepishly, still embarrassed over what you had sent.

"Insoo? Your friend who works with you?"

You nodded. "I mean I haven't told him all the details but he knows I'm dating someone and he gave me some advice. Since we both have such busy schedules we need to make time for us, you know?" You slurped more of your noodles, deciding not to bring up Insoo's sexting comment which had been running through your mind the moment this video chat had started. "I want to get this right. I know I'll make mistakes but you have to tell me, okay Jumin?"

Jumin scoffed lightly. "I can't imagine scolding you for anything."

Thankfully your mouth was empty since that made you burst out in laughter. "I'm a big girl, Jumin. I know I'm not perfect. I don't expect you to be either even though you're super close with your stupid hair and stupid eyes."

"Stupid hair and stupid eyes?" Jumin laughed.

"You know!" You gestured at the phone screen. "You're like stupid hot without even trying, save some for the plebs your highness."

"I missed you," Jumin said simply and you bit your lip to partially hide your ear-splitting grin. "Work became easier once I realized that I could look forward to seeing you even if it was just on a screen."

"It won't always be like this." Your mouth seemed unable to elaborate on that but you hoped that Jumin understood what you were trying to say.

"I look forward to that day."

 

 

 

 

 

Was this what falling in love was like? It felt like flying and being punched in the gut at the same time.

 

Whatever it was, you never wanted to let go of this feeling.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the entire print a gif convo is based off that one post where someone's dad printed a youtube video jsyk. if yall are wondering why jaehee's rarely in the chat...she's working and has no time for that nonsense esp since jumin's slacking off lol
> 
> thanks for all the good vibes!! ya girl is still unemployed but reading your messages really helped tbh!!!


End file.
